2009

MethoTelemed

Background

EU- SMART 2008/0064 TENDER SPECIFICATIONS: Methodology to assess telemedicine applications, building on EU policy:

• http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/telehealth_2007/index_en.htm
• http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/telehealth_2007/index_en.htm
• http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=3469
• http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemlongdetail.cfm?item_id=3857
• http://www.ehealth-impact.org/download/documents/ehealthimpactsept2006.pdf
• http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/doc/qualif/health/COM_2004_0356_F_EN_ACTE.pdf
• http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/leadmarket/leadmarket.htm

Description

From the outset, the range of stakeholders and interests relevant to the work is highlighted. We recognise the diversity of these throughout. Decision and policy makers want to bring quality approved and economically effective telemedicine applications to health services; commercial interests view health services as markets for their products; technology developers focus on the needs of users in order to innovate; medical and care professionals seek the best telemedicine tools to provide quality services; patients seek the best quality care and partnership in its delivery.

Our challenge is to bridge gaps between different scholarly perspectives to identify and recommend approved methodologies to assess quality and efficiency in a broader societal perspective. The main outcomes of this project are proposed methodologies to guide academic endeavours as well as policy decisions.

Components of the work are

• a systematic and academically rigorous review of research on telemedicine
• an analysis of how the methodologies identified produce and validate results
• careful attention to stakeholder perspectives through consultation workshops
• the production of guidance (hereafter ‘the MethoTelemed Guidance’) for methodologies that meet criteria of quality and can contribute to the development of the still limited evidence base on the impacts, benefits and costs of telemedicine

Partners

This project is led by MedCom, Denmark, in partnership with the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST). The project team (hereafter, ‘the MethoTelemed Team’) also includes the Department of Applied Social Science, University of Stirling; the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services; a panel of international expert advisers, in business, economics, health policy analysis, Health Technology Assessment, and medicine; and stakeholders in telemedicine including patient groups who will participate in structured consultation together with the WHO Observatory represented through the LSE Enterprise.

Funding Source

EU- Infso DG

Timeframe

The project started February 1, 2009 and runs to February 1, 2010.

Contact

Leader of the research team, Anne Granstrøm Ekeland, email Anne.Granstrom.Ekeland@telemed.no
 

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