Establishing networks in client centred telepsychiatry

ESTABLISING NETWORKS IN CLIENT CENTRED TELEPSYCHIATRY

 

Author 1: Kurt Lyngved, Telemedicin Consultant, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine

 

 

The use of telemedical solutions can play a important role in the delivery of health services to the areas of the population concerned. "Si @!", a plan prepared by the Norwegian government for the period from 2001 to 2003, provides for electronic coordination of the health and social services. The plan emphasizes the importance of providing service at the appropriate level of treatment. This implies that clients should receive treatment as close to their homes as possible. The plan highlights the coordination of health and social care. As a centre with advanced expertise in this area, the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine is actively taking part in providing information about and extending the use of telemedical solutions within the health sector, for example, between the various levels of health services. Telemedicine technology can support client-related psychiatric treatment in cooperation with local authorities, regional psychiatric centres and the special health services. The aim is that the treatment will be planned not only together with patients during their stay in hospital, but also together with their families and the local teams of health services. Telemedical solutions such as videoconferencing enable patients to live at their own homes in a familiar environment, minimizing the need to travel. These solutions can provide new opportunities to take care of clients' interests by adapting individual plans of treatment to their local and familiar environment as closely as possible. "Establishing networks within patient-related telepsychiatry" was a project in collaboration between the various levels within psychiatric health care: psychiatric hospital, regional psychiatric centres, local support and the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine. The goal was to find various solutions which could fulfil the client_s needs by: Maintaining active groups of responsibility at the level of the local authorities and using videoconferences to maintain contact with professionals both at the regional psychiatric centres and at the central health services. In the long term, enabling the local groups with responsibility for care to provide post-discharge follow-up support to the clients in their local environment, with the special health service taking part in deoconferences, including the periods when clients are staying in a psychiatric hospital. Using the time of health professionals efficiently while ensuring the quality of the treatment. Strengthening contact with the client_s patient_s family through the use of videoconferencing. In order to maintain the patient's needs and treatment at the lowest level possible, effective information routines and good cooperation with the patient's family are important. The report from this project is now available. The results from this project will form the foundation for the development of telemedical networks related to the treatment of patients. The project has been extended until the end of 2003. Experience gained through the project may be helpful in establishing a service based on videoconferencing, which will increase the quality and the availability of this service.