Updated: Feb 1, 97
TELEMEDICINA-SIP

Project Code:   A18006 Project value:   150 KECU EC contribution:   150 KECU No of partners:   14 No of countries:   7 Duration:   9 months

Contact: Dr. D. Ranucci Head Office Business Division New Service Development Telemedicine Manager Via di Val Cannuta, 186 I-00166 Roma, Italy Tel.: +39-6-36.88.37.80 Fax: +39-6-36.88.99.46

Overview

Results from the R&D projects must have technology transfer objectives and co-ordination should be enhanced with ENS, DELTA and BIOMED. All the research products must then be brought to a practical level, which means the industrial level. Industry must demonstrate that telemedicine and telematics can be successful. Telecoms must establish a rapport of collaboration with public health authorities to be aware of where to give their services where needed. Telecoms must work with hardware and software suppliers and health service information technology personnel to determine which systems are used and the standards to be created. Telecoms should also establish cooperation with medical equipment manufacturers.

Cooperation with industry must give way to the full use of modern technology. This should result in a definition of standards and their promotion. A way to do this is by setting up a technology transfer office that conducts studies and field trials, and can co-ordinate and hold technology transfer seminars.

Purpose and objectives

The prime material that is crucial in building a working organisation is .communication, or more precisely, the flow of information among the various bodies involved. Telecoms and health ministries must join efforts, objectives and collaborate at the respectively highest levels, thus creating close cooperation and direct communication. A strong co-ordination of efforts between the main partners in Europe - industry, health ministries - will render consolidation and expertise in telemedicine and telematic applications. Advantageous support can be obtained from links with software and hardware companies that offer products and applications. It is important to identify those with greatest potential in marketing for immediate use. Positive support can also be found in research and academic groups that can contribute guidelines and initiatives.

An organisation that has realised an excellent flow of information and collaboration for the sake of cooperation can perform its necessary tasks. A framework must be defined that establishes procedures and protocols for managing systems and information. Proposals must be concrete. Projects should be drawn on a commercial basis and objectives must be almost always market oriented.

Training and education is of fundamental importance for the survival of telemedicine and telematics in health care. Education should be organised and provided for all actors involved on all levels, with strong encouragement to cooperate interactively. The development of training and education programs must be tailored for operators, manufacturers and service providers in health care organisations, health care managers and health care personnel. Training should cover all aspects of telemedicine and expose the benefits of telemedicine and telematic applications.

Training for physicians should create another aspect of professionality for them, encouraging them to become actively involved and even cost conscious. Promotional education and demonstrations at hospitals and health care centres can be easily organised and very effective in increasing awareness and enthusiasm.

Economical

The economical aspect in telemedicine is made up of two elements which are separate but essential. One is dedicated to research and development and the other is operational.

The overall budget for research and development for telemedicine/telematics should be increased. Telecoms need more direct access to EC funds to formulate proposals in the health services field, which can be implemented in large scale pilot studies. Financing for these endeavours should also be backed by the Ministry of Health. Not only must a strong infrastructure be developed to keep research standards at a high level of quality that accomplish the predetermined objectives, but criteria must be very strict in channelling funding to give concrete and tangible results.

Economic manoeuvres to enhance probability of success consist in various actions in allocating investments. A framework should be designed to link local vendors and local suppliers. Cohesion investment should be structural for telematics. Incentives can be formulated to reward health care professionals and to reward financial promotion of telematic services. Campaigns can be conducted on a widespread basis by promoting special tariffs, for example. Of course, cost/benefit impacts are always to be quantified and evaluated.

Ethical/Social

Actions should be taken to create and promote a process of change in the overall approach and concept of telemedicine in every day health care. The push should come from the EC and IGOs, that must find solutions rather than just raise problems. Publicity of applications and research and development results should be disseminated as well as documentation and information on successful cases. The objective in these actions is to expand the number, quality and diversity of people and organisations that are involved in programs and projects, encouraging the public and health care professionals to use technology more and more. Studies of trends of acceptance by the public and by physicians should be done in an organised manner so that criteria for the usability of applications can be continuously defined and clarified. This must .also keep in account the social implication that the impact of telemedicine has in each country evaluating the scenario in a comparative way. Liability problems must be discussed and solved so as to construct a clearly defined legal framework. Codes of practice must be established for liability and privacy issues.

Market Dimension

The market potential exists. Actions must be well organised and well aimed. The already existing health care commercial channel should be exploited and consequently widened. Identification should be made of the target market and product samples. Training and education programs on commercialisation should be developed involving product and marketing personnel. Local vendors and suppliers should be made involved from various sectors such as electromedicine, informatics, services, telematic equipment suppliers. Few but clearly aimed actions on the market will give profitable returns and open the way to expansion.

Applications that have shown to be successful should be written about and advertised in technical, medical and professional journals with written contributions by the main actors of the projects and applications.

Others

The expectations from research must be clearly defined and kept into account when creating activities. Attention must not be given to research and development only. It is crucial to direct efforts to implementation application as well. Participation in research trade shows gives an excellent opportunity to expose pilot implementations and demonstrators. Promotion must be oriented towards services and the customer. Cooperation must be very close with industry. Future programmes should involve social security and public health services in their development, making them aware of the potential that telecom systems offer. Home installations that are adaptable to more than one type of use can notably increase the attractiveness of health telematics and telemedicine.

Development and realisation of pilot projects on a national and international level for network applications are a strong instrument in disseminating the use f telemedicine.

Results

In fact, the strategic group was able to trace the actions that are essential for a practical realisation of the project through the assembly of various considerations, observations and advice.

The most important actions are:

• implementation actions that start from a good collaboration between Telecoms and public health authorities
• creation of good communication links among the active participants in the creation of the telemedicine activity and profession, creating both active and passive links between those who contribute to the advancement in technology to those who insert this information into the commercial channels
• health authorities must be actively involved
• industry must be actively involved
• Telecoms must take advantage of their management of the telecommunication potential and bring this tool to the continuous attention of the other actors involved.

The main condition that is absolutely essential to make the strategy a success is the co-ordination of the so-called "super parties" by the EC to bring about the practical actualisation of all the actions suggested to continuously widen telematic applications in health care and particularly those of Telemedicine.

List of Deliverables

• Report on "Consensus and Strategy for Promoting Health Care Telematics in Europe"
• Report on "Survey of the Status of Telecommunications in Health in Europe"

List of Participants

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