Newsletter no 4, May 2008: Snail's pace in the public health service
Things happen fast in the world of IT. With a few keystrokes on the PC you can pay bills and book flights. But can you use your computer to get in touch with the hospital?
-The health sector is moving at a snail's pace According to measurements by the trade and employers' association Abelia, renewal in the health sector through the use of ICT has shown little or no progress in many areas during the past two years, says Paul Chaffey. He is one of the keynote speakers at this year's telemedicine conference in Tromsø from 9 to 11 June.
Has evaluated strategy
The CEO of Abelia believes that the government is not exploiting the potential of effective electronic solutions to reduce costs and increase quality and efficiency in the health and care sector. This conclusion is the result of Abelia's evaluation of the national strategy for ICT development in the health and care sector, the Te@mwork 2007 plan.
Need both carrot and stick
Paul Chaffey believes that both incentives and political pressure are needed if the various players in the health sector are to introduce better ICT solutions to a greater extent.
-Our intention is not to criticize Norwegian authorities, who have been working in a goal-oriented way for a long time. We were asked to evaluate the Te@mwork plan, and in this work we have seen that more dramatic measures are needed to build up momentum in the processes. Of course, the challenges arise from the complexity and size of the health sector as well as the number of administrative levels involved, he concedes.
Must invest now
According to Chaffey's assessment, we simply do not have time to be patient any longer. Demographic trends indicate that we need more hands and more heads to meet the needs of the growing number of elderly people in the population.
-Investments are needed to enable automation of everything that can be automated to free hands to help those who really need human contact and closeness, emphasizes the head of Abelia.
At this year's telemedicine conference in Tromsø on 9 June, you can hear about Paul Chaffey's visions for the use of ICT in the health and care sector during the coming years. How long will it take before you can contact the hospital via a single keystroke?
Auditor General agrees with Chaffey
Abelia's evaluation is supported by the Office of the Auditor General, which draws a similar conclusion in its recent survey on the use of ICT in hospitals and electronic collaboration in the health service.
-The Ministry of Health and Care Services has not met its responsibility to follow up the national ICT initiatives, states the Auditor General, Jørgen Kosmo.
Final Announcement is now available
The Final Announcement with the Conference Programme for Tromsø Telemedicine and eHealth Conference 9-11 June is now available.
Download the Final Announcement in PDF-format here.
This years programme consists of Day 1 Innovation Jam followed by a two-day scientific programme. On days two and three there will all in all be 16 sessions, including keynote sessions, parallels and workshops and include over 50 speakers. There is no better place to be inspired, discuss and learn about the latest research and developments within the field of innovation and eHealth.
Among all the interesting and exiting sessions in the programme we will highlight;
- Innovation Jam
- Sensor-Based Systems and Mobile eHealth Services
- Innovative eHealth and Telemedicine Services, Applications and Products
Workshop: Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme, 2008-2013 (AAL)
AAL is a new European technology and innovation funding programme involving 22 countries. AAL addresses the needs of the ageing population and the role of ICT in prolonging an active and independent life. The aim of the AAL workshop is to present the work programme and first call, and discuss future challenges for AAL, from business models to changing demands for products and services among Europeans 65+.
Visiting NST
We will also arrange a visit to NST on the final day of the conference. There will be a presentation of the centre and time to view the premises.
Please note that hotels in Tromsø in June are often fully booked, we therefore recommend that you register as soon as possible.
Best regards
The Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine
Steinar Pedersen
Conference Chair
Professor Artur Serrano
Chair of the Scientific Committee
Siri Bjørvig
Chair of the Programme Committee
If you have any queries, please contact us:
General info, practical details, registration:
Vibeke Hemmingsen, vibekeh@telemed.no.
Sponsorship, trade exhibition, accommodation:
Tromsø Event AS, c/o Turid Kirkhaug, turid@tromsoevent.com.
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