| |
Ageing population in Europe and a higher number of persons with
chronic diseases generate an increasing demand for health and
medical services. Strong pressure is put foremost on primary
health care. Therefore, the “Tele Medicine project”
is aimed at improving health and medical services in
Europe via the use of telemedicine (1). More specifically,
the project investigates how telemedicine can foster the self
management of chronically ill patients in urban areas.
This
European project is supported by the Interreg 3C programme
and brings together 7 partners that have dealt with telemedicine
activities individually in the past. Hence, they are in a
good position to explore how telemedicine could improve
the local planning of health and medical services and housing
facilities in urban areas through an interregional
approach. |
|
 |
|
|
To do so, partners have first investigated, shared and transferred
existing examples on telemedicine in the participating regions
related to 3 chronic illnesses, namely COPD
(chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease), chronic heart failure
and diabetes.
Then, the results of this investigation helped partners
choose proven applications that has first been tested in
two regions: existing technologies have first been implemented
in primary care situations in Eindhoven and Southampton, within
the framework of two pilots. Within a project’s extension approved by the Interreg 3 C programme, similar pilots are currently tested also in Den Haag, Bologna, the rural hinterland of Genoa, the city of Viladecans – next to Barcelona- and the Balearic Islands. Partners have been analysing the specific
effects of these seven test phases on quality of life, cost effectiveness,
planning of health services, urban planning and housing.
Finally, recommendations have been made and the projects
outputs have been disseminated at European level: amongst
others, regional seminars have been / have been organised in each participating
region. Moreover, one intermediate conference were held in Bologna in November 2006 and a final transnational conference and in Eindhoven in November 2007.
The project results in a further developed ICT tool for
medical self management, a testing programme for already developed
tools which have never been tested in a practical situation,
a European wide knowledge network on Telemedicine and an active
campaign to influence local planning decision.
The main impact of the project is a more efficiently planned
and organised health care system in urban areas.
Have a nice visit!
(1) According to project partners and within
this project, "Telemedicine is the use of information and communication
technology in the primary process (primary and secondary care)
to improve health care services (like cost reduction, shorter
waiting list) and self management (like better quality of life).
Results will effect health planning (policy making)". |
INTERREG IIIC Tele Medicine Project formally closed.
