25 January 2002
Telemedicine: New research and technology
Among the speakers at the Royal Society of Medicine conference Telemed '02, (29-30th January 2002):
New study suggests telehypnosis can be better than the 'real life' version, Susan Simpson, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Aberdeen, - Telehypnosis: the provision of specialised therapeutic treatments via teleconferencing
Hypnosis can help with treatment of a range of problems from
chronic pain to eating disorders. If you live in a remote area,
however, it can be difficult to find a suitably qualified therapist.
Clinical psychologist Susan Simpson will suggest a possible
solution, based on the results of her pilot study of patients
in Shetland who she treated using teleconferencing. More than
a third actually preferred telehypnosis over face-to-face therapy,
and all said they would like further sessions.
Digital
TV, 'memory' pagers and the internet could keep the elderly
healthy
Dr JG Barlow & colleagues, University of Sussex, - Telecare
in planning and implementation
New technology may help elderly patients to stay out of hospital
or residential care and maintain their independence, suggests
Dr Barlow. His team will report on the preliminary findings
of their telecare research project, due for completion in 2003.
Many technological options are emerging, including sensors
which transmit health data to carers and digital TV to bring
patients and carers into closer contact. The project will look
at ways of bringing this telecare into mainstream service delivery.
How
Lithuanian technology could help patients with severe disabilities
Dr V Lauruska, Siauliai, Lithuania - Teleconsulting,
communications and distant learning system for persons with
disabilitites
Telemedicine has great potential for people with severe disabilities,
but only if technology is properly adapted for them, Mr Lauruska
will point out. He will be reporting on a Lithuanian project
to design an alternative computer-based communication system
for various types of disability, enabling patients themselves
to use text messaging, email and eventually videoconferencing
to participate in distant learning and teleconsulting.
'Telemedicine
in the service of peace'
Dr Danny Shanit, Peres Center for Peace, Israel - Peace in sight
As tension runs high in the Middle East, Dr Shanit will show
film a virtual network which he believes shows that telemedicine
has "a unique role as a medium for peace-building". The Middle
East Ophthalmology Network links experts in five countries
to share knowledge and skills, even out the distribution of
medical resources and expertise, and keep co-operation and
collaboration going despite the political tensions of the area.
New research shows better outcome for tele-patients in remote Australia
Dr Russell D'Souza, Broken Hill Base Hospital, NSW,
Australia, - Telehealth in improving treatment adhereence
and longitudinal outcomes in patients with a serious mental illness
Dr D'Sousa's case control study of patients with serious mental
illness compared a group treated via video-conferencing with
patients who received a conventional post-discharge programme
.He will report on the results, which showed that the tele-health
group were significantly more likely to keep to their treatment
regime, had fewer problems with their medication, were less
likely to relapse and expressed more satisfaction with their
treatment.
Telemedicine: why the UK delay?
Mr Robert Harrison & colleagues, Royal Free, London,
- The implementation of telemedicine: problems for research
strategies and methodologies
Why do so few telemedicine projects the UK survive beyond their
trial phase? Mr Harrison will present some possible answers,
including the possibility that many new technologies challenge
the traditional "clinical rituals" of doctors' surgeries and
hospital wards. He will give his recommendations for change,
and suggest some "do's" and "don'ts" for anyone trying to introduce
telemedicine into a traditional setting.
[ends]
