Back to blog home
Virtual care has rapidly expanded in recent years, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving patient expectations. Today, healthcare delivery is no longer limited to in-person appointments. Instead, patients and providers alike are turning to remote solutions that offer flexibility, convenience, and safety.
With this shift has come a wave of new terminology—terms like telehealth, telemedicine, and telecare are often used interchangeably, but they each describe distinct types of remote healthcare services. Understanding the differences can help both patients and care teams choose the right tools and improve communication.
What Is Telehealth, Telemedicine, and Telecare?
While all three terms describe remote healthcare services powered by digital technology, they serve different purposes within the virtual care landscape. Here’s what sets each one apart and how they work together to support better care delivery.
| Feature | Telemedicine | Telehealth | Telecare |
| Primary Purpose | Remote clinical services | Remote clinical and non-clinical health services | Continuous support and monitoring for independent living |
| Provider Involvement | Doctors, NPs, PAs | Entire care team (nurses, pharmacists, admin staff) | Often automated, involves caregivers or sensors |
| Examples | Video visits, medication management | Training, outreach calls, care planning | Wearable alerts, health tracking apps, fall detectors |
| Patient Interaction | Real-time, two-way | Real-time or asynchronous | Usually passive or automated |
| Technology Type | Video, secure messaging, remote monitoring | Same as telemedicine + digital outreach tools | Same as telemedicine + digital outreach tools |
Telemedicine: Clinical Services From a Distance
Telemedicine refers specifically to virtual clinical services, where patients receive diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care from licensed providers without visiting a clinic or hospital.
Definition and examples
Telemedicine involves the use of telecommunications technology—such as video conferencing, secure messaging, or remote monitoring—to provide direct clinical care. Common examples include:
- Video visits for managing chronic illnesses
- Follow-ups after surgery or hospitalization
- Secure text messaging for medication questions
- Remote consultations with specialists
Who provides telemedicine?
Telemedicine services are typically delivered by physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants. These professionals use tools like OhMD to streamline virtual care—securely messaging with patients, sharing files, and conducting HIPAA-compliant video visits.
When is telemedicine used?
Telemedicine is ideal for scenarios that don’t require a physical exam. It’s often used for ongoing care, routine check-ins, and minor health concerns that can be managed remotely—saving both time and cost for providers and patients.
Telehealth: A Broader Category of Remote Care
Telehealth goes beyond the clinical scope of telemedicine. It includes a wide range of digital healthcare services, both clinical and non-clinical, that support the overall care journey.
How telehealth goes beyond telemedicine
Telehealth encompasses not only doctor-patient visits but also provider training, care coordination, health education, and administrative communication. It helps entire care teams engage patients remotely and improve care efficiency.
Types of telehealth services
Examples of telehealth include:
- A nurse calling to confirm medication adherence
- A pharmacist checking prescription histories
- Providers sharing educational resources
- Remote care planning or chart review
- Team meetings and continuing education
With platforms like OhMD, these activities are easier to coordinate. OhMD supports broadcast messaging, shared inboxes, digital forms, and secure chat—allowing practices to personalize communication without adding more work.
Providers and patients who benefit
Telehealth allows every member of the care team—not just doctors—to contribute to the patient’s health journey. This expanded reach leads to more touchpoints, better engagement, and fewer care gaps.
Telecare: Technology That Supports Independent Living
Telecare focuses on supporting patients—especially older adults or those with chronic conditions—by helping them stay safe and independent at home through continuous or automated monitoring.
What is telecare used for?
Telecare provides non-clinical support through connected devices and apps. These systems track health indicators, alert caregivers to emergencies, and offer reminders or prompts to encourage healthy behavior.
Examples of telecare tools and systems
Examples include:
- Fall detection sensors
- Emergency alert bracelets or pendants
- Medication reminder apps
- Home-based monitoring for vital signs
- Smart devices that connect to family or caregivers
Unlike telemedicine and telehealth, telecare does not always involve direct communication with a provider. Instead, it focuses on safety, consistency, and quality of life for the patient.
How telecare differs from telemedicine and telehealth
Telecare is generally passive and continuous, rather than interactive or episodic. Its main goal is prevention—detecting problems early and reducing risks that might lead to hospitalization or institutional care.
The Growing Role of Virtual Care
As digital tools become more accessible and user-friendly, virtual care is no longer just a temporary solution—it’s a permanent part of modern healthcare.
Trends and adoption rates
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual care across all sectors. According to industry forecasts, the global telehealth market is expected to exceed $185 billion by 2026.
Platforms like OhMD have made this shift easier by combining video visits, secure two-way messaging, file sharing, and more, all in one place. These features enable practices to extend care beyond office walls without sacrificing security or efficiency.
How these services complement traditional care
Telehealth, telemedicine, and telecare aren’t designed to replace in-person care, but they can make it more flexible, proactive, and continuous. They reduce transportation barriers, improve follow-up, and help identify problems before they escalate.
Clarifying terms for patients and care teams
Helping patients understand what kind of service they’re receiving builds trust and sets expectations. Whether they’re participating in a clinical video visit, receiving a reminder message, or wearing a safety alert device, understanding the terminology helps them stay informed and engaged.
Telehealth with OhMD
OhMD offers a HIPAA compliant telehealth service that will help your practice to deal with COVID-19 as best as possible. Along with our two-way messaging and video communication features, we also offer a file delivery system, a broadcast system, and a live website chat, to name a few. Read our guide to HIPAA Compliant Telehealth Platforms to discover why your practice should implement a telehealth platform.
To learn more about OhMD, schedule a demo today.
