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News: Newsletter 20

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October 2, 2003

In this newsletter:

  • New and updated Med-e-Tel website up and running
  • New start for the International Society for Telemedicine (ISfT)
  • TensioMed for better hypertension control
  • SLaM telepsychiatry programme: patients take remote control
  • Study shows patients decrease hospital visits with home monitoring equipment
  • Doc@HOME takes the pressure off
  • eHealth 2003 - Implementing the change
  • News from the Med-e-Tel media partners
  • Newsbriefs
  • Conferences


Med-e-Tel, the business-to-business exhibition and conference for telemedicine, ehealth and health informatics, has a new and updated website at www.medetel.lu. The site provides information and registration facilities for exhibitors, visitors, press and speakers of the Med-e-Tel event which is scheduled for April 21-23, 2004 in Luxembourg.
Don't miss out on a unique opportunity to network, establish contacts, evaluate products, and do business with key trade contacts and policy makers from around the world at Med-e-Tel. Exhibitors can also take advantage of great additional marketing and promotional benefits and additional exposure in the Med-e-Tel educational programs.
Med-e-Tel provides visitors with a chance not only to test, evaluate and buy products from some of the worlds leading companies in the fields of telemedicine, ehealth and health informatics, but also with an opportunity to learn a great deal from attending the event's educational sessions.
The educational sessions will provide practical information about the use and advantages of new healthcare ICT applications. Several satellite conferences by some of Med-e-Tel's partnering organizations are currently also being planned for. For more details or to sign up, go to www.medetel.lu or contact us at .


The new International Society for Telemedicine (ISfT) was officialy inaugurated at the occasion of the 8th International Conference on the Medical Aspects of Telemedicine in Tromsø, Norway on September 14th, 2003, as a Society under Swiss Civil Code. ISfT's purpose is to promote international health telematics - particularly telemedicine, telecare, telehealth, ehealth and associated fields - including research, development, practical applications and initial and supplementary training. To achieve its purpose ISfT will:
- support cooperation between non-governmental organizations on the one hand and governmental and non-govermental institutions on the other;
- support national telemedicine organizations;
- promote the cause of telemedicine within the WHO, ITU and other international institutions or organizations;
- contribute to the dissemination and exchange of knowledge, information and technologies relating to telematic applications;
- promote initial and supplementary theoretical and practical training in the field of telemedicine, including its applications throughout the health sector regardless of professional or geographical limits;
- support journalistic activities relating to telemedicine R&D and its applications;
- bring together scientists and researchers, sponsors and advisers, manufacturers and distributors and their scientific personnel;
- promote the formulation and publication of rules for good practice and also guidelines and information on how to act;
- support activities relating to the establishment of appropriate legal outline conditions for telemedicine applications;
The Society shall consist of natural persons as individual members and legal persons as collective members. The members shall be classified as:
- national members (organizations representing telemedicine in their particular countries)
- affiliated members (natural persons belonging to a national member who have requested membership in the ISfT)
- associated members (organizations not belonging to the national members)
- institutional members (governmental and non-governmental academic institutions such as universities, clinics, research institutes and their sponsoring organizations)
- cooperating members (commercial organizations such as manufacturers, distributors and service providers in the field of telemedicine)
- individual members (natural persons concerned with telemedicine whose country is not represented by a national member)
- student members (natural persons undergoing academic training)
For more information about memberships, fees and registration, contact (President) or (Treasurer), or click here to submit a provisional application.


The TensioCare system by TensioMed, a leading company in the field of telemedical blood pressure monitoring, was successfully introduced in the exhibition and conference sessions of the recent Tromsø Telemedicine Conference in Norway. Practical applications of this new blood pressure care system and the first and very encouraging results in improving hypertension control were explained.
TensioPhone/TensioCare is the only interactive technology capable of two-way communication to receive data and to download the program schedule according to which the patient will take blood pressure measurements. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) thresholds can also be programmed individually. This system is based on a receiving and data managing centre called, TensioCare. Due to the unique feature of the bilateral communication, the devices are programmed and all the recorded BP/HR values of the patients are also sent to the TensioCare centre by the device automatically from the patients’ home. Results are automatically structured and evaluated and a report is sent to the patient and his/her doctor each month. This device is intended for home use.
Another device from TensioMed is TensioDay, for professional use for hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. It is a 24-hour BP monitor with a brand new feature: internet connection, making it possible to send patient data or reports to another doctor at another institute for consultancy by e-mail and thus making long distance no more obstacle in the patients’ therapy anymore. The communication between the device and the computer is through infra connection, which means no wires and extremely fast downloading and uploading of data.
TensioMed will participate at the upcoming congress of the German Society of Hypertension in Bonn (November 2003), where a symposium will deal with the application of the TensioCare system in the hypertension disease management. TensioMed will also be present at Med-e-Tel 2004 in Luxembourg (April 21-23, 2004) with new introductions and with a special session on BP monitoring and hypertension. For further information, or to make an appointment with TensioMed at one of these events, contact .


South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM) has been developing a number of telepsychiatry projects within the Trust services, and externally with local primary care providers over the past few years and is recognised for its expertise in teleconsulting in mental health.
Current telepsychiatry projects in South London and Maudsley NHS Trust include:
- Videoconferencing to develop a shared care model of mental healthcare management between primary and secondary care linking the acute ward to the community mental health team and to primary care.
- The provision of Cognitive Analytical Therapy (CAT) via Interactive Television.
- Videoconferencing to enhance tertiary mental healthcare provision to the Island of Jersey which is normally not available on the island, reduce user anxiety, improve the quality of tertiary services and facilitate clinical, educational and research links.
- Videoconferencing to improve access to mental health services for MDOs.
The expertise gained from the current projects is being harnessed to support major service developments such as the Triage Ward. Telepsychiatry will support this service as a communication medium and will help to reduce the overall length of stay and improve the efficiency of bed management. An economic evaluation of telepsychiatry services in SLaM is also underway, focusing on travel times and costs of service providers and users in a geographically dispersed inner-city service setting.
Patients’ responses to telepsychiatry have been positive in SLaM. Most find the experience acceptable, reduced need for travel and treatment at a site near home attractive. Professionals concerns about telepsychiatry related to anxiety as a new medium, missing important non-verbal communication and impaired professional-patient relationship. Despite some apprehension, the initial reluctance of professionals tends to recede with practice and experience.
Telepsychiatry activities in SLaM are based at Speedwell CMHT, led by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Paul McLaren who chairs the Telemedicine and E-Health Development Forum of SLaM, and co-ordinated by Murat Soncul. If you require further information and assistance on issues concerning Telepsychiatry in SLaM, please contact or visit www.slam.nhs.uk/news/bulletin/aug03/2.asp.


In the U.S., the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Michigan (VNA) has concluded a 120-day pilot study on a new frontier in medicine that blends advanced technology with old-fashioned caring through a program called TeleHomecare. The study concluded that the combination of remote monitoring, patient education and medical intervention virtually eliminated rehospitalization and emergency room visits and significantly improved patients’ satisfaction with home care services and quality of life.
Through VNA’s TeleHomecare Program for Heart Failure pilot study, 32 homebound heart-failure patients under VNA care, received a special weight scale and blood pressure cuff connected to their home telephone line. As patients weighed themselves and took their blood pressure (BP) daily, their weight, heart rate and BP readings were automatically sent to a secure Internet site and evaluated by VNA nurses.
"Only one person during the study was rehospitalized for heart failure," said Rosanne Brugnoni, VNA director of clinical innovations. "That is a fantastic outcome. Heart failure patients have the highest rate of readmissions to the hospital or emergent care while under home care supervision."
Nationally, 25% return to the hospital within 30 days of treatment; and 45% return within 90 days. The traditional model of patient care monitors a patient from visit to visit, not from day to day, resulting in uncertainty of condition between visits. TeleHomecare is a much more proactive approach that is readily accepted by patients and family, encourages education, prevention and self management and employs a team approach.
VNA plans to expand the TeleHomecare program to the following disease states within the next year: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and hypertension. For more information on VNA TeleHomecare Programs, contact .


Docobo, a pan European consortium bringing together extensive experience and expertise of a number of technologists and healthcare professionals, recently announced the initial results of its latest trial into the treatment of chronic illnesses. Based on a sample of two hundred home-based patients using the doc@HOME data collection unit to record essential parameters such as blood pressure and ECG, the initial trial results reveal that by being given regular motivation and enabled to perform self monitoring of blood pressure at home, patients can significantly improve the control of their blood pressure.
"More than one third of the UK adult population has high blood pressure but less than half of them are aware," comments Adrian Flowerday, managing director of Docobo (UK). "It's alarming just how many people have no idea how serious a threat high blood pressure can be to their health."
Dr Margus Viigimaa, Lead Cardiologist in the trial, comments: "doc@HOME has motivated patients to become more involved in their condition, perform regular monitoring of essential parameters and be more compliant with their medication. In addition, we have a much clearer picture of their condition, and have typically been able to adjust medication within 30 days."
People who are aware of their condition can make changes to their lifestyle in order to lower blood pressure; these include cutting down on salt intake, eating more fruit and vegetables, taking more exercise, reducing alcohol consumption and working towards an ideal weight. In a few people, these changes can be enough to lower blood pressure to a level where tablets may not be needed. If tablets are necessary, lifestyle changes will make them more effective.
Ongoing health monitoring is becoming more essential as the incidence of chronic conditions, notably those caused or exacerbated by high blood pressure, continue to increase. Doc@HOME assists by automatically recording patient health parameters, taken by the patient himself at home, on a secure website, for access by both patient and their medical adviser. In this way, long term health data are built up and trends become evident, helping the patient to clearly see the effects of their lifestyle on basic health. This is a positive step to moving away from the purely academic aspirations of improved public health awareness and making real inroads. All the while, the work experience of medical practitioners should improve by being relieved of the routine and the mundane.


Top names in the health world will be gathering at the eHealth 2003 conference to discuss ways of driving forward the National IT Strategies and addressing the challenges faced with implementing technology in healthcare as part of an ambitious e-health agenda.
Among the speakers to address the eHealth 2003 conference and exhibition on October 16-17, 2003 in London (UK) are:
- Dr Pascoal Mocumbi, Prime Minister, Mozambique
- Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation and President of the International Hospital Federation
- Dr Salah Mandil, Vice President, eStrategies, WISEkey SA, who has helped to set up e-health strategies in over 40 countries
- Richard Grainger, Director General, NHS Information Technology, who will discuss the NHS Plan for implementing electronic service delivery and update progress to date
- Prof Don E. Detmer, Gillings Professor of Health Management, Judge Institute of Management
The theme of this year’s eHealth conference and exhibition is the growing role of e-technology in improving the efficiency and service of the NHS. Speakers will also compare the NHS Plan to European and North American e-strategies.
The conference is the third one organised by the International eHealth Association, a non-profit society based in London dedicated to boosting the use of technology in health care. The exhibition is organised by leading event organisers Brintex.
Other topics to be discussed at the conference include medical error, e-health security, e-procurement, e-learning and implementation of e-health programmes. Delegates will be senior healthcare and IT managers.
For more information or to register please contact or go to www.ehealth2003.org.


- For information on publications, journals, magazines and on-line information services that will help you to stay abreast of what is going on in the field of ehealth and to make better informed decisions in your daily business or healthcare practice, check out the list of Media Partners on www.medetel.lu.
- The Telemedicine Research Center (Portland, Oregon, USA) will sponsor and conduct a 2003 telemedicine program survey report, which will be published in early 2004 by the Civic Research Institute (CRI) in New York. CRI also publishes the bi-monthly Telehealth Practice Report, the soon-to-be-published (Oct/Nov 2003) Home Healthcare Technology Report, and publications on legal issues in telemedicine. The TRC was founded in 1994 and sponsors the Telemedicine Information Exchange (TIE), which also has a European affiliate, TIE-Europe.
The 2003 report on US and international telemedicine activity will focus on US activity, but a new section of the report will also include a listing and some data analysis of international telemedicine programs. It will be based on data from the new survey posted on the TIE Programs section at http://tie.telemed.org/programs/ under the 'Submit a Survey' link. The report will be a handy desktop reference, with full contact information for all programs listed, data on number of consultations, equipment/telecommunications used, specialty care provided, home health and research projects, program funding, and much more. The report will be updated at six months and published again in early 2005.
If you are involved in some sort of telemedicine/telehealth activity and would like your data included, please visit the TIE Programs section and submit a survey before October 15, 2003. The survey may be filled out online, or printed and faxed, and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Once you have logged in and begun filling out the form, you can return at any time to add or update information. Those filling out the survey will also receive a discount on the cost of the report. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact or .


To follow are links to some interesting and recently published articles and studies (if you know of any articles of notice, feel free to send details to and we will include a link in a next newsletter):
- Restrictive Approach of Healthcare Funding Bodies Stifles Uptake of Remote Patient Monitoring Technologies (Frost & Sullivan)
- Security gets top priority in 'shared care' electronic patient record (Diagnostic Imaging)
- Computerized Screening brings critical health care for diabetes and obesity patients to rural Alaska (Virtual Medical Worlds Monthly)
- Smart pens aim for better health (BBC News)
- Integrating the Electronic Medical Record (Decisions in Imaging Economics)
- Big sites enter into diabetes monitoring market (American Medical News)
- Have over 35 years of health informatics made Europe healthier? (British Journal of Healthcare Computing & Information Management)
- Can I.T. Change Health Behaviour? (Health Data Management)
- European Union funding aids innovative medical IT (Diagnostic Imaging)
- Telemedicine Applications Grow, While Data Security Remains A Top Priority (Hospitals & Health Networks)
- Mobility Requires Vendor Cooperation (Mobile Health Data)
- Some Peripherals Move into Spotlight (Health Data Management)
- Caregiver Tech Slowly Evolves (Associated Press/Wired News)
- Wired for Home Care: New point-of-care applications ease clinical burdens for homecare nurses (Healthcare Informatics)
- Switzerland gets first filmless hospital (Diagnostic Imaging)
- Home monitoring gives health care by modem (Baltimore Sun)
- Web-Based Program Optimizes Stroke Care in Rural Areas (Medical College of Georgia)
- Healing from afar: Seeing the doctor, when the doctor is in another town, gets easier for some parents of disabled children (The Raleigh News & Observer)
- Rx: up close and personal (EE Times)
- Keeping patients connected: Technology helps VA reduce hospital visits (The Boston Globe)
- Eye on Technology; PACS: What to Look for (Medical Imaging)
- From electronic gadgets to better health: where is the knowledge? A call for papers for the BMJ theme issue on eHealth applications (British Medical Journal)



- The TTC 2004 (Tromsø Telemedicine Conference) will take place on June 21-23, 2004 at the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine in Tromsø, Norway. The focus of the conference will be on "Citizen participation in e-health: How should health care organisations, technoloiges and research respond?" Citizens are grasping e-health technologies as a tool for dealing with their own health issues. Many government policies are encouraging this trend. This will disrupt traditional approaches to health care. The positive potentials, as well as pitfals, are many. Howshould health care organisations, technologies and research respond in order to maximize the positive potentials of citizen participation in e-health? This conference is designed to cobine future perspectives along with state-of-the-art research and practice. More info will become available soon at www.telemed.no/ttc2004. - Advancing Telehealth & Telemedicine in the Black Sea Region will be a 10-day intensive telemedicine & telehealth workshop discussing and illustrating benefits in the delivery of healthcare for the entire Black Sea region, taking place in September 2004 in Constanta, Romania. For current information, visit www.blacksea-telehealth.org.

 
 

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