Telemedicine: five years on — what progress?
When we asked Keith Clough and Ian Jardine if they
could provide a progress report on the use of telemedicine techniques in
the NHS in England, their initial reaction was “what progress?” We
agreed that an article exploring the reasons for so little achievement
in this area might be more appropriate.
keywords: telemedicine,
telecare, healthcare modernisation, silo mentality.
abstract
Progress in the introduction of telemedicine and telecare in the NHS
in England has been disappointingly slow. The ‘resistance to change’ of
individuals has been a factor, but the major reasons have been the
‘silo’ structure of the NHS and conflicting messages from the Department
of Health. Attitudes at all levels and in each professional group need
to change and there has to be better co-operation between groups but,
above all, there needs to be central leadership if the speed of change
is to be increased. Future developments and research should recognise
that telemedicine is not a specialty nor is it a treatment. It is
technology that can support the clinician at the time of diagnosis and
treatment, and similar use of telecare can often delay or prevent the
need for either.
Br J Healthcare Comput Info Manage 2003; 20(6): 21–3. |
