Brussels, 21/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - Thanks to the determination shown by the relevant regional public health authorities and to the Health Optimum project, which enjoys Community support under the eTEN programme, Regione Veneto is gaining a successful tele-medicine network in the neurosurgery field. Aragon, in Spain, has already set up such a system which consists not only of tele-diagnosis - analysis and imagery interpretation - but also of tele-counselling. This system makes it possible to considerably reduce (by 79% according to results recorded in Italy) the number of patient transfers to centres of excellence while ensuring that they receive a high quality of healthcare (participation of highly qualified diagnosis specialists). In Aragon, nephrology waiting lists have been cut from 34 to 25 days. In Denmark, where tele-medicine services cover cardiology, waiting lists have been reduced from 55 to 29 days. Also taking part in the Health Optimum project are the County Council of Uppsala, in Sweden, and the Timisoara Emergency Country Hospital, in Romania.
Meeting in Brussels on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 January, the persons in charge of these different projects took stock of progress made and the results of each of these pilot projects. Experience shared also covered the specific aspect of data protection.
Marco d'Angelantonio (HIM) and Dr Gianluigi Scannapieco (Azienda ULSS 9 Treviso) have explained to EUROPE that the Regione Veneto is to enter a stage in the development of this project that must, in time, cover the whole region and its 4.6 million inhabitants, and involve 23 healthcare units. At a ridiculously low cost (by way of €250 million) coverage of the region (whose health budget is nearly €7.5 billion) would be all the more profitable in time as it will allow a reduction in the number of sick persons having to be admitted to centres of excellence. When asked why there are delays in diffusing tele-medicine, Messrs Angelantonio and Scannapieco noted that its use began in countries where the climate and/or geography made it difficult for doctors to reach those in need of treatment. Today, the introduction of tele-medicine is encountering difficulties in countries where liberal medicine is prevalent. Dr Scannapieco stresses, moreover, that it is not a matter of abusive use of technology, but of ensuring that it is applied where it presents a real advantage for reasons of time and distance. (O.J.)