Telemedicine is exploding as a convenient and less costly alternative to the traditional visit to the doctors' office, according to an article on the ComputerWorld website.

Seventy-five million of 600 million appointments with general practitioners will involve electronic visits in the U.S. and Canada in 2014, according to a new study.

Globally, the number of  virtual doctor visits is expected to reach 100 million this year, potentially saving more than $5 billion compared to the cost of in-person doctor visits.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) recently introduced AnywhereCare, offering patients virtual visits with doctors 24/7 by phone or through video conferencing.

"The new model provides a faster turnaround. Within 30 minutes ... they have the ability to get access to a healthcare provider," said Natasa Sokolovich, UPMC executive director of telemedicine.

Electronic visits or telemedicine is comprised of electronic document exchanges, telephone consultations, email or texting and videoconferencing between physicians and patients, the article said.

The majority of virtual visits are expected to focus on capturing patient information through electronic forms and photos, rather than direct interaction with a physician.

Read the article.