Telemedicine is the latest and fastest growing form of healthcare and medical services, based on modern information technology. Each diagnostic and therapeutic process can potentially be carried out using its services. It therefore sees in it the opportunity to improve health care services and increase their effectiveness. The study presents the benefits of using telemedicine to patients, medical staff and healthcare systems. It emphasized primarily the possibility to improve access to new medical services, to make better use of specialist experience and to reduce the costs of diagnosis and treatment. In addition, medical specialties have been identified in which telemedicine can be particularly effective and the main obstacles to the implementation of telemedicine services for everyday medical practice. These include the high cost of purchasing specialized equipment and the necessary modifications to the telecommunications infrastructure and computerization of the health service.

Key words: telemedicine, health services, telemonitoring, healthcare economics, effectiveness.