“We recommend establishing a European support framework for telemedicine”

At the eHealth 2008 conference in Slovenia, the European Health Telematics Association (EHTEL) presents a report on telemedicine strategies and initiatives across the EU. HealthTech Wire talked to Marc Lange, secretary general of EHTEL, about the association’s recommendations for sustainable telemedicine in Europe.

Published: 05/07

- (HealthTech Wire) - What was the objective of the recent EHTEL report “Sustainable Telemedicine: paradigms for future-proof healthcare” and what are its findings?

We conducted this research amongst EHTEL members across the EU with the main objective of not only collecting the views of Ministries of Health on the role of Telemedicine in their national eHealth strategies but also, significantly, to ascertain their level of awareness about existing Telemedicine initiatives. We observed a striking overall homogeneity of approaches to eHealth deployment across Europe, (i.e. similar priorities and normally many references to common standards), and a striking heterogeneity on the priorities, methods and deployment status of telemedicine. However, the really interesting findings came when we took the raw data and started analysing our findings against the general market trends with a view to making concrete recommendations for the advancement of telemedicine deployment in Europe.

What are your recommendations for achieving sustainable telemedicine services in Europe?

Based on the national member state reports and overall European achievements in telemedicine so far, we were able to make a number of recommendations for achieving sustainable telemedicine services in Europe by 2020. These include facilitating change in everyday operations for health care professionals and patients; using patient-centred telemedicine to involve and engage professionals and patients in the overall eHealth strategy; and establishing a culture of interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration between different specialised medical fields. We also recommend formulating explicit national strategies, scenarios and business models for sustainable telemedicine and establishing a European support framework to coordinate progress and future deployment of sustainable telemedicine.

What are the objectives of the recently established Telemedicine Task Force?

EHTEL has established the Telemedicine Task Force in order to foster adoption of sustainable telemedicine. So far, the Task Force has focused its activities both on learning from the experience gained by health professionals already using telemedicine services and on the sustainability criteria of these services. It has also addressed the patient’s and citizen’s concerns on telemedicine and drafted a specific Patient’s Charter for eHealth in the framework of an EU funded project called Healthware. Next, the Task Force will consider business aspects of telemedicine as well as some medical aspects related to the management of chronic diseases.

How can EHTEL contribute to speeding up the global adoption of eHealth solutions?

Being a forum where all eHealth actors can meet and share their views with other key actors on the European stage, EHTEL helps to improve mutual understanding and supports a multi-stakeholder analysis of eHealth related issues. At global level, our association is in the process of combining its efforts with the International Society for Telemedicine & eHealth (ISfTeH) to contribute to the realisation of their shared goal of advancing the use of Telemedicine and eHealth for better health and care for all. EHTEL is there to be at the forefront of making telemedicine a sustainable reality of today’s healthcare delivery, not just a pipe dream of the future.

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