Doctors and nursing staff from several municipalities in Greece – plus four specialists from the Athens Medical Centre – have been trained in the use of telemetric systems as part of an extension of the country’s telemedicine program.
The municipalities are members of the Inter Municipality Health & Welfare Network OTA across Greece.
Staff took part in a training course, organised and supported by Vodafone Greece, conducted by instructors from Vidavo health telematics, following a pilot program in 2006.
As part of their training, the medical teams were also given equipment to record life signs and a PDA device. The equipment given to the doctors allows them to examine patients with chronic diseases.
“For example they can now take a cardiograph or check respiratory function if asthma is suspected at any of the regional medical offices participating in the program and transfer those examinations to the Athens Medical Centre to a cardiology or pneumonology expert, who will examine them and send his opinion back in the same way.
“Consequently, regional medical offices will now be able to offer specific specialist services in addition to primary health care,” a spokesperson said.
The Greek telemedicine system is based on mobile telecommunications technology and is intended to offer multiple benefits to all participants.
The spokesperson added: “Patients can practice preventive medicine, while at the same time geographical limitations are abolished and the sense of security felt by patients is strengthened thanks to direct access to specialist doctors.
“Doctors in the regions can better manage their patients since they can provide specialist health care services in remote areas where there is no direct access to a central hospital, while at the same time they also have the opportunity to communicate and work with the specialists from the Athens Medical Centre.”
The Government of Greece is planning to install telemedicine devices in rural and municipal medical centres of the country to provide valuable consulting services to upgrade the health services later this year. Full plans are yet to be confirmed.
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