APPENDIX 2
The Telemedicine Information Service (www.tis.bl.uk)
run by the University of Portsmouth and the British Library, and
supported by the UK Departments of Health, provides information
about tele-health projects across the UK.
The major application is NHS Direct, which allows
patients and the public to consult with NHS clinicians over the
telephone. There are also experimental developments looking at
the use of digital TV to provide video linkage. The complementary
NHS Direct Online programme provides Internet access to generic
health information, and its use for generic email queries is being
piloted.
When fully implemented, the NHS Booked Admissions
Programme will enable patients and the public to make and amend
outpatient and GP bookings online or by telephone.
A number of sites are integrating telemedicine
into their electronic patient record development. The Department
has also funded a number of ICT demonstrators that include telemedicine
projects. There is also the work on pathology modernisation going
forward, and again, a number of projects include telemedicine
aspects.
Some major areas of tele-health application
include:
(a) Links between minor injury units and
accident and emergency departments. These have been developed
in a number of areas, often with additional facilities such as
teledermatology and teleradiology links using PACS (eg Kidderminster
http://www.worcestershirehealth.co.uk/hospitals/changes/a_and_e.htm,
John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford http://www.motion-media.com/html/about/pressoffice/news/2000/000222_02.htm)
(b) Teleradiology. There are a significant
number of projects where PACS systems were used to enable rapid
review of radiological images, including links to district general
hospitals, tertiary centres and for radiologists to work from
home (eg Addenbrookes Cambridge http://www.addenbrookes.org.uk/serv/diagclinsup/medphys/annreport9900/mri1.html,
Cornwall http://www.egov-online.co.uk/infrastructure/videoconferencing/casestudies/cornwall.php,
Hull http://www.egovernment.bt.com/case—studies/medics.html)
(c) support for multidisciplinary team working
within the management of cancer: a number of applications of telemedicine
are being used within cancer networks, including x-ray transmission,
use of web cameras for patients at home, teleconferencing and
teleradiology (eg Edinburgh http://www.fairimag.co.uk/fairfield/case-studies/pathsight-edinburgh.html,
North Merseyside http://www.merseyhealth.org.uk/nmfhp/newsfutureevents/press—release——25th—june—2002.htm,
West Suffolk http://www.wsufftrust.org.uk/WSHTrust/News/West Anglia
Cancer Telemedicine Launch.htm)
(d) Teledermatology. Teledermatology services
are now available at increasing numbers of NHS sites (eg Bassingham,
Northants http://www.bassinghamsurgery.co.uk/services %20provided/teledermatology.htm,
Whitstable http://www.ccpcg.co.uk/whitstablemedicalpractice/other—screening—clinics.htm,
Somerset Coast http://www.somerset-coast-pcg.org.uk/services/telederm.shtml,
TDS Dermatology Ltd, http://www.tds-telemed.com.
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