We had a demo of this, very keen they were to sell it to us and I really
cannot see the point. OK if we were in the Hebrides and some vulnerable
patients lots of miles from the surgery but we are slap bang in the middle
of our catchment area and most people can get to us or us to them. It's a
trial/research project and no guarantee of it continuing afterwards. Seems
a lot of money wasted to me. We already encourage patients to manage their
conditions and contact us when they need to, having endless data, normal
and/or abnormal pouring into the surgery would take us away from seeing
patients.
I really think we should just refuse! Like C&B, its farcical.
Cherry
-----Original Message-----
From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mary Hawking
Sent: 29 January 2007 09:47
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Telemedicine in the Home
Does anyone know the Business Case/ need for this approach?
Most of the successful trials have been based on simple measures -
opening fridge doors, weight etc - being transmitted to a local team:
I'm not sure that the massive work suggested by RG would actually be
clinically useful!
Http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39165423,00.htm
"The NHS is planning to institute so-called telehealth systems in homes
around the country.
<Snip>
Speaking to industry figures at a symposium on IT and healthcare in
London, Granger also confirmed that "things going into people's homes is
new scope", requiring additional budgeting beyond the original remit of
the NHS' National Programme for IT (NPfIT).
<Snip>
Testing the telehealth systems for interoperability with the new
national database of patient care records, called 'The Spine', would
also be expensive, Granger added."
Not only expensive but technically difficult seeing the current state of
the Spine!
"Granger said the existing security levels in place in hospitals today
are on a par with those of the best banks, leading to some uncertainty
over the security levels that will be supported by telehealth systems."
And I had thought that one of the selling points for CfH was that the
existing paper records in hospitals - and the systems that support them
- are hopelessly insecure!
This makes me worry about my bank.. ;-<
"Granger told the symposium: "Are we going to do that with hundreds of
thousands of unpaid carers and voluntary workers who work in people's
homes? Maybe, maybe not.""
Hm. so if all these workers will have access without the security of
smartcards and Role Based Access, how secure would *any* Summary Care
Record be? And could a SCR carry enough information for day to day
patient management?
I thought the plans for a *detailed* medical record on the spine were
permanently stalled?
MaryH
--
Mary Hawking
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