What is the term for the transmission of vital signs from home to doctors over the phone?

The term that best describes the transmission of vital signs from home to doctors over the phone is telemedicine. This field encompasses a wide range of services and technologies aimed at delivering healthcare remotely. Telemedicine typically involves the use of telecommunications technology, enabling healthcare providers to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients without the need for an in-person visit.

Telemedicine specifically deal with clinical services, allowing healthcare professionals to monitor patients' vital signs and other health information transmitted from the home environment. This may include voice calls, video conferencing, or secure messaging through specific platforms designed for healthcare communications, ensuring patient data remains confidential.

Other concepts like telehealth refer to a broader scope that includes not only clinical health care but also non-clinical services, such as education and administration. Remote monitoring is a component of telemedicine focused specifically on tracking a patient’s health status through connected devices but does not inherently include the direct interaction with healthcare providers that telemedicine encompasses. Virtual care captures a similar realm as telehealth, but again, is typically broader and can include asynchronous communication not focused solely on the doctor-patient interaction within the context of vital sign monitoring.