Time savings with tele-orthopaedics

- "The spontaneous reaction from patients participating in the project is delight that they do not have to make an unnecessary trip to Tromsø for an examination," PhD research fellow Astrid Buvik comments on the tele-orthopaedics study in the county of Troms. Photo: Jan Fredrik Frantzen, NST.

Since 2005, the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority has borne all the costs associated with patient transport, and it is therefore willing to find alternative solutions. In a doctoral project, Astrid Buvik from the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) in Tromsø is studying the use of telemedicine for follow-up of patients who have undergone surgery. She plans to find out whether time and costs can be reduced in practice. She presented the project at the annual telemedicine conference in Tromsø.

Tele-orthopaedics

There is growing demand for specialist consultations at the University Hospital of North Norway. The orthopaedic surgeons spend a great deal of time on monitoring of patients who have been to hospital for simple operations. In North Norway, patients who need specialist follow-up have a long way to travel. This involves high travel expenses for the Northern Norway Regional Health Authority.

- "Every year the University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) has 800 orthopaedics consultations from 4 municipalities in the county of Troms: Skjervøy, Kvenangen, Kåfjord and Nordreisa. There is an obvious need to explore alternative solutions for serving these regions," says Buvik.

Benefit for patients

All the feedback from the patients who have taken part in the pilot project is positive.

- "The spontaneous reaction from patients participating in the project is delight that they do not have to make an unnecessary trip to Tromsø for an examination. They do not need to take time off work in this connection," says Buvik enthusiastically.

The consultations take place by videoconference between specialists at the University Hospital of North Norway and the public health centres in the municipalities. The specialist in Tromsø undertakes the necessary examinations, and in consultation with the patient, they plan the further treatment.

Positive about the new technology

Both regular GPs at the public health centres and patients are positive about the project. The specialists at UNN provide support for regular GPs in the consultations. Patients in rural areas now obtain access to the same treatment as city-dwellers. Buvik adds that the children who participate in the project find it completely natural to communicate with their doctor via a TV screen.

For more information, please contact the Head of Information, Hilde Pettersen, mobile telephone +47 991 03 794.

Facts about TTeC 2007:

The Tromsø Telemedicine and eHealth Conference takes place from 11 to 13 June 2007. This is the seventh time that the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine in Tromsø is organizing the conference, which gathers several hundred participants from 20 countries over three days. This year's conference focuses on new, non-traditional possibilities for improving the efficiency of the care service and reducing the burden on the public health service when the grey wave begins in earnest within a few years.