1. Telemedical projects in Bavaria—what is the current position and what needs to be done?
- Author
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Jähn, K., Reiher, M., and Stuhl, T.
- Subjects
- *
TELEMEDICINE , *MEDICAL telematics - Abstract
Abstract: Despite various developments in the field of telemedicine, Bavaria lacks an actual and structured overview of current trends and perspectives from the viewpoint of project managers. The study presented here set out primarily to encompass the various directions such projects are taking that are linked to Bavarian institutions. To this end initiators, participants and target groups were identified, key focal points circumscribed and future measures outlined. A postal survey was carried out among the managers of the 102 designated projects. The survey encompassed the geographical picture and the key project areas, classified according to ‘teleconsultation’, ‘teletherapy’, ‘e-documentation’, ‘telemonitoring/early diagnosis’, ‘information systems’ and ‘tele-education/e-learning’. The majority of the projects, mostly part-funded from an array of the institutions'' own resources, were aimed at out-patient care, and accompanied by an evaluation. Special attention was given to managers'' evaluation of the specific contributions of their projects to healthcare, conceptually grouped as follows: ‘benefit for doctors’, ‘benefit for patients’, ‘marketing’, ‘integration of healthcare’, ‘efficiency’ and ‘resources’. Relevant in this context too were views on what potentially innovative fields can advance the expansion of telemedicine in Germany—for instance, ‘working environment integration’, ‘acceptance doctors’, ‘technical standards’, ‘payment regulations’, ‘law regulations’, ‘user instruction’, ‘acceptance patients/citizens’. Independent of the evaluation, a wide majority of project managers envisaged telemedicine''s growing relevance in the health service. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2005
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