Telehealth may involve more general health services, like public health services, whereas telemedicine is a specific kind of telehealth that involves a clinician providing some kind of medical services including diagnosis and prescription.

For both telemedicine and telehealth, the use of secure video and audio connections makes it possible for specialists to treat patients who reside in locations with limited access to care or simply to help with convenience.

Telemedicine was created as a way to treat patients who were located in remote places, far away from local health facilities or in areas of with shortages of medical professionals.

Today, it's increasingly becoming a tool for convenient medical care. Patients wants to waste less time in the waiting room at the doctor, and get immediate care for minor but urgent conditions when they need it. This desire for more convenient care, combined with the unavailability of many overburdened medical professionals have led to the creation of telemedicine apps. Many telemedicine apps offer patients 24/7 access to medical care with an on-call doctor in the local area.