IT SOLUTIONS
Telehealth could improve care and save money T
elehealth could save the NHS money and help deliver better
outcomes for patients, a report by Audit Scotland has concluded.
Remote diagnosis is one aspect of telehealth that is especially under- used at the moment – but that has great potential, especially in rural parts of Scotland, it says.
Audit Scotland wants NHS Scot- land to consider new ways of de- livering care in the face of growing demand. Telehealth systems have the potential to save about £1,000 per patient per year, it suggests, with other benefits including less travel, faster diagnoses and fewer hospital admissions.
However, there have been limited opportunities for staff to gain expe- rience of the technology and more education and training is needed.
Auditor General for Scotland, Rob- ert Black, said: “The NHS in Scot- land is facing serious pressures,
fective care to people of all ages across our country.”
In its research and surveys, Audit Scotland found limited coverage in local delivery plans and that only half referred to telehealth specifically.
More than a third of the medi- cal directors interviewed did not know if the Scottish Centre for Telehealth (SCT), established in 2006 to support NHS boards to develop telehealth, was perform- ing its core functions well.
from the ageing population and increasing numbers of people with long-term health conditions such as diabetes and respiratory illnesses.
“Telehealth could help to provide a range of services efficiently and effectively. Where it has been used, patients, doctors and nurses generally like it.”
90 | national health executive Nov/Dec 11
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “The NHS doesn’t stand still and the way that services are delivered is constantly adapting, helping to improve quality for patients and efficiency for the public purse.
“Telehealth has a pivotal role to play in delivering efficient and ef-
Half of the medical directors it spoke to said the integration of SCT and NHS24 had ‘no impact’ on the delivery of telehealth within the board.
Royal College of Nursing Scot- land’s director Theresa Fyffe said: “Investment has been inconsistent and a survey of our members last year found that less than 20% use telehealth.”
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