IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Telemedicine Addressed by European Commission

Includes examples of telemedicine deployment and its effects on patients and society.

The European Commission last week issued a staff working paper on telemedicine, titled: Telemedicine for the Benefit of Patients, Healthcare Systems and Society. This new document expands on last year's Communication on Telemedicine for the Benefit of Patients, Healthcare Systems and Society, and includes examples of telemedicine deployment and its effects on patients and society.

Among examples of cost savings and other health benefits and efficiencies obtained through telemedicine were the following:

  • A study of 4,000 patients showed that remote monitoring programs reduced rates of admission to hospital for chronic heart failure by 21 percent and all causes of mortality by 20 percent.
  • A 1,300-patient study has shown that telemedicine can be effectively used to support patients in the self-management of oral anticoagulation therapy.
Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.