Pictures of the Future       Spring 2005

"Scandinavia is a Telemedicine Pioneer"

Why are Scandinavian countries the leaders in telemedicine?

Uldal: It’s because of a development initiated in 1989 by Norway Telecom (now Telenor) with the "Telemedicine in Northern Norway" program. The main reason behind the program was northern Norway’s very low population density. From many communities in this region, long trips to doctors’ offices or hospitals are very difficult, especially in winter. Another motive was that Norway and the other Scandinavian countries have excellent communications systems. Each country has its strengths in the areas its telemedicine policy initially focused on. Denmark, for example, is the leader in the exchange of text-based information, such as patient data and laboratory results. They started using e-mail for such things very early in Denmark. Norway, however, has an edge in imaging, for example in videoconferencing and the transfer of medical images.

Have you found any specific trends?

Uldal: Traditional telemedicine was limited to videoconferences between doctors and the exchange of medical images by hospitals. Today, patients are increasingly included in the process, making telemedicine and e-health more individualized. This means patients are monitored at home more often, eliminating needless trips to doctors and hospitals.

How are the patients monitored?

Uldal: Most often, this involves taking ECG measurements. And with patients suffering from cardiovascular problems, blood pressure, pulse and weight are also measured. Blood-sugar levels are measured for diabetics, and asthma sufferers have their lungs checked. A growing number of easy-to-operate devices have become available for such applications, and all the data they collect can be transferred to a doctor via telephone.

How common are such home readings in Scandinavia?

Uldal: There are about 20 to 30 pilot projects now, most quite small. In Norway, for example, homecare personnel take pictures of patients’ wounds and transmit the images with other medical data to hospitals. There was also a project for children’s skin rashes, in which parents took pictures and sent the information to a hospital. In some cases, this eliminated the need for a trip to the doctor’s. And in Finland there’s currently a project in which ECG data and X-ray images are transmitted by physician’s assistants, who sometimes need the skills of a highly experienced professional.

What can we expect in the future?

Uldal: The most important trend now involves wireless communications. In the future, the focus will likely be on special-purpose clothing. I think rapid advances in mobile communications will play a key role in initiating such a step. And once computers are lighter, it won’t be uncomfortable for us to wear them.

                                                      This interview was conducted by Michael Lang