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Updated: Jun 3, 97 |
OPHTEL | |
| Telematics in Ophthalmology |
| Project Nr: | HC 1036 | Group: V | Project Duration: 36 months |
| Key words: | ophtalmology ; teleconsultation ; information systems | ||
| Category: | Telematics to Fight Blindness | ||
| Summary: | Development of services for early and accurate diagnosis and selection of an adequate therapy for glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy | ||
| Mission: | OPHTEL is promoting telematics to reduce at least half of all EU cases of blindness, which currently cost ECU 10,000 per patient annually. It will mainly target glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy which, though very common causes of blindness, respond well to fast effective diagnosis and treatment. Planned project services for this purpose include teleconsultation and partially public knowledge-based information systems. Results of OPHTEL will be transferable to other medical fields and its services used by an estimated 4000 hospital and other staff up to the year 2000. | ||
| URL: | www-ophtel.gsf.de/OPHTEL/ | ||
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| Name of Institution | City+Postal Code | Country | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augenklinik rechts der Isar, Department of Ophthalmology, Techn. University Munich | Munich D-81675 | Germany | DE21 |
| Institute of Internal Medicine University of Turin | Turin I-10126 | Italy | IT11 |
| Royal Postgraduate Medical School Diabetic Retinopathy Unit and Grading Centre | London UK -W12 ONN | GB | UK55 |
| Diabetes Center Munich-Bogenhausen | Munich D-81925 | Germany | DE21 |
| ifa informationssysteme für augenärzte GmbH | Köln D-50858 | Germany | DEA2 |
| Advanced Data Base A.D.B. SA | Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle F-05731 | France | FR1 |
| Biermann Verlag GmbH | Zülpich D-53909 | Germany | DEA2 |
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Due to the fast increase of medical knowledge and the ongoing specialisation, providing access to recent knowledge and medical services (e.g. consultation) is a growing problem in ophthalmolgy and other medical domains. OPHTEL addresses the whole field of ophthalmology with a focus on glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy which are the most common cause of blindness in Europe. A year of blindness costs approximately 10.000 ECU per patient, covering disability funds, supplemental income programs, medical treatment, and lost income tax revenue. However, for both diseases efficient therapies do exist. Accurate and early diagnosis, and correct application of treatment can prevent blindness in 50 to 80% of all cases. OPHTEL will develop and establish services as teleconsultation, tele-image processing, knowledge-based information system, patient monitoring, and tele-screening that provide fast access to knowledge and patient related data necessary for early and accurate diagnoses and a selection of an adequate therapy. The overall aim of OPTHEL is to improve quality and efficiency of medical care in ophthalmology.
Target groups for marketing services developed by OPHTEL are health care providers in ophthalmology concentrating on private physicians, eye hospitals, and centres of expertise (university hospitals). In total about 4000 professionals and hospitals are expected to use OPHTEL services until the year 2000. Parts of the knowledge-based information system will be public and accessible for patients. Services will be provided on a commercial basis. Depending on the type of service, cost have to be covered either by health insurance companies (e.g. for tele-consultations) or directly by users (e.g. knowledge based information system). In total, OPHTEL will lead to a reduction of costs, especially when applied in rural areas. Additionally, OPHTEL will strengthen the competitiveness if the industrial partners in European and international markets by adding telematic functions and increasing interoperability of software products or servers provided by the partners. Results of OPHTEL will be transferable to other medical domains.
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Users involved Affiliated to the consortium is an informal user association that will consist of scientific medical associa-tions in the fields of ophthalmology and diabetology, organizations of professionals in ophthalmology, hospitals, and private physicians. Five hospitals in GB, I, DK and DE are OPHTEL consortium members. Technologies and/or approach used The OPHTEL systems will consist of a set of remote clients based on a standard PC architecture with additional features for telecommunication and video conferences. These remote clients will be connected via EURO-ISDN and/or high speed networks to a server system (Sparc Server platform). Expected benefits for the citizen The diseases in the focus of OPHTEL (diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma) are severe health problems in Europe (e.g. important causes of blindness). The OPHTEL system shall support the continuous monitoring and adequate treatment of these diseases. Therefore a reduction of blindness cases is expected. Expected benefits for the users of the application OPHTEL will support the collaboration between physicians (e.g. private physicians and specialists in hospitals), establish a standardized terminology and documentation in ophthalmology, improve the availability of actual medical knowledge, and assist the physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases (monitoring, classification, follow up). Expected benefits for the European Industries Using existing software products from within the consortium, OPHTEL will strengthen the competitiveness of European industry in European and international markets by developing the telematic functionality of these systems. Contribution to EU-policies OPHTEL will
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| Bavarian Health Care Network | Bayern | DE | |
| Manchester Royal Eye Hosp | Manchester | Greater Manchester | UK |
| MUC | Munich | Oberbayern | DE |
| Arhus Univ Hospital | Arhus | Aarhus AMT | DK |
| Central Middx Hospital | London | Greater London | UK |
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