Momentum telemedicine service descriptions

Electronic healthcare (SE)

Objectives, expected outcomes, main beneficiaries

The service consists of a medical record, a phone, telecommunications, and video meetings. It is part of child rehabilitation and a healthcare service given to children up to 18 years old who experience e.g., diabetes, heart disease, child nephrology, cystic fibrosis, neuropsychological syndromes, and other syndromes.

The main beneficiaries of the service are patients and healthcare professionals.

Targeted population, number of patients

The population targeted by the service include people with chronic conditions (e.g., who receive long-term monitoring or coaching); patients undergoing specific treatment; and patients undergoing  acute/emergency intervention.

Between 100–1,000 patients receive this service on a monthly basis.

Type of telemedicine service

The main beneficiaries are the patient and the primary care sector.

Set-up that was being replaced

The difference between the previous set-up and the current set-up is as follows:

• For meetings where people had otherwise in the past to travel a long distance, they can now participate by video from their home city.
• Ultrasound examinations online with a national specialist, when there are no relevant specialists in the area, improve the quality of the examination and diagnostics. This also applies for x-ray interpretations and second opinions.
• Physiotherapists can use video for rehabilitation in the patients’ home, when needed, which results in a quicker and better rehabilitation for the patient.
• Follow-up after surgery in other hospitals by video.

Outcomes and results expected after introduction

The four aims of the service are:

• Cost savings.
• Quality and safety for the patients: e.g., less travel for the patients and staff which minimises the risk in traffic. The district covers a radius of about 250 kilometres. Furthermore, all actors involved in the patient’s case can be involved more easily with the patient’s treatment regardless of where they live.
• Reaching other specialists in other regions, nationally and internationally easily. Patients and staff do not need to travel, but can easily be reached by video.
• Treating more patients by reducing travel time.  Telemedicine allows staff to treat four patients a day, instead of one or two when travel is added. Therefore, telemedicine is more clinically effective.

Operational status

This electronic healthcare is operational and forms part of the mainstream health service.