Prospector

Telemedicine revolution is 'disappearing' from the NHS

Emphasises the need to take care in overly optimistic forecasts of the future.

Despite high expectations, telemedicine and telehealthcare systems, which enable doctors to interact with patients many miles away via video, digital imaging and electronic data transmission, have had only limited impact on the National Health Service, according to a study sponsored by the ESRC.

The expected revolution in medicine, overcoming problems of access to specialist care and speeding up referrals and diagnosis, has simply not happened, say researchers led by Professor Carl May, of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

"Telemedicine" is disappearing, in stark contrast to the apparent success of telephone services on which clinical staff decide the urgency of patients' injuries or illnesses, and advice lines such as NHS Direct.

Resistance from professionals is often blamed, but the real reason is often a failure to think through the organisational problems involved in integrating new technology into everyday NHS activity.

Professor May said: "We were struck by the strong claims made about the promise of telemedicine. But we found that despite significant support in policy documents and very active champions of the cause in the clinical world, these systems have largely failed to become integrated in routine healthcare delivery."

Professor May said: "Instead of involvement, we found abundant studies - often very poorly designed - of patient satisfaction. These show high levels of support for new systems, but often represent highly selected patient groups. They often focus on 'hotel' aspects of care rather than important questions concerning patients' confidence about the diagnosis and quality of life. Concerns about security and confidentiality are rarely addressed."




Telemedicine revolution is 'disappearing' from the NHS

posted by Prospector @ 8:24 AM