September 2000
CHAIRMANS WELCOME
I am delighted to welcome you to the first edition of the UK eHealth Association electronic newsletter, which will keep you informed of developments
in telemedicine and e-health in the UK.
There are momentous changes ahead in terms of healthcare reform
which will be driven in part by the increasing applications of e-health and
telemedicine in the healthcare delivery process as well as through changing
consumer demand, where there is a seemingly limitless appetite for on line
health information from the general public.
With the launch of the new Website imminent, the UKTA will play
an increasingly important role in shaping the changes ahead and your executive
officers, including myself, are already in meaningful discussions with our
counterparts in the health departments of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales, the Department of Trade and Industry, NHS Direct, and the NHS Information
Authority.
The UKTA is also keeping a careful watch on events in the grater
European Community and in my personal capacity, I sit as Chairman of the European
Commissions Thematic Working Group on e-health and telemedicine which is setting
the implementation plan to roll out e-health and telemedicine services and
solutions across the whole of European community over the next few years.
Warmest best wishes
Dr Ricky J Richardson FRCP FRCPCH
Chairman
NEW MEMBERS
The UKTA would like to welcome the following new members who
joined the Association in September
Axsys
Avon Health Authority
Ortivus West Surrey Health Authority
Eileen Davey
NEWS UPDATE
Biodata Information Technology has been selected by BT as a
strategic partner for videoconferencing security. BT selected Biodata because
they were looking for an encryption product that was reliable and easily incorporated
within their existing videoconferencing portfolio. The BabylonMETA VC8/VC30
provides customers with fully secure point-to-point and multi point videoconferencing
systems and services.
Biodata Information Technology has recently taken over the Berlin
- based company Enigma Techology GmbH. Enigma develops software technologies
for secure data transmission via the internet, setting international benchmarks.
Enigma specialises in VPN's (Virtual Private Networks) that provide high encryption
protection when exchanging data in the virtual network world. For more information
contact: d.moseley@biodata.com
Motion Media Technology Ltd (MMT) has recently appointed Earl
Gardner as the UK & Ireland National Sales Manager for the TeleHealth
Division. Earl has worked in medical sales for both national and international
companies and also has also worked in the Royal Air Force as an operating
theatre technician.
Contact: earl.gardner@motion-media.co.uk
The UK National Database of Telemedicine holds information on
about 119 telemedicine/telecare products, 49 UK companies involved in telemedicine,
33 other sources of material and 16 links to other websites. If you would
like to add your company or project to the database visit the website www.dis.port.ac.uk/ndtm
and complete an online registration form.
The UK National Database of Telemedicine (NDTM) in Portsmouth has been approached by the Department of Trade and Industry to sponsor a mission to Korea (and possibly also Japan, China or Taiwan) The mission would explore opportunities for co-operation between the UK and overseas organisations and to promote greater awareness of overseas advances in the area of telemedicine, or possibly health informatics more generally. Seven companies have already expressed an interest but NDTM would like to hear from more. If you are interested in being involved email jim.briggs@port.ac.uk or for more information about the overseas missions scheme visit the website www.dti.gov.uk/mbp/its/missions/missions.html
PUBLICATIONS
Telecare: New Ideas for Care and Support
@ Home
Puay Tang, David Gann and Richard Curray
The Policy Press, May 2000.
Price £12.99
ISBN 1 86134 216 0
The book will be of interest to those involved in health and
social care of an ageing population. It provides reasonable coverage of the
topic, but suffers from being based on a review of publications and involvement
of a relatively narrow group of participants in 2 workshops. Involvement of
more stakeholders could have produced a more balanced view. The conclusions
and recommendations are those that one would expect from a "centralist"
view of provision of health and social support, with only lip-service being
given to alternative scenarios which more involvement of free enterprise could
have brought. Despite the above reservations, readers will find food for thought
in this slim volume.
E-Clinical Trials: a boost for disease
management options
Two excellent recent studies provide in depth and up to the minute analyses
of advancements in clinical trials.
Clinical trials: Where Patient Care and Clinical Research Meet is published
by First Consulting Group (FCG): www.fcg.com/knowfirst/detail.asp?productID=CTS
e-Pharma: Accelerating Clinical Trials and Enhancing Details is published by Friedman, Billings, Ramsey and Co: www.fbr.com/v/gateway/1,5377,L3YvU3VwcG9ydENvbnRibnQvUERGcy9
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
The next UKTA members meeting will take place on 20 October
2000 at the Lifespan Community NHS Trust in Cambridge. The programme and details
of the venue have been circulated. Please confirm your attendance: monica@denwales.freeserve.co.uk
Global Health: Changing the Rules, Opening the Borders. 18-19
October 2000, Amsterdam RAI Congress Centre, the Netherlands For further information:
eHealthcare@congex.nl , www.eHealthcareworld.com
Telecon 2000 Conference 5-8 December 2000, Exposition, 6-8 December
2000, Anaheim Convention Centre, Anaheim, California For further information:
www.teleconexpos.com/telecon2000
6th international conference on the Medical Aspects of Telemedicine
Uppsala, Sweden on 18-21 June 2001 For further information: telemedicine2001@slu.se
www.service.slu.se/conference/telemedicine2001
Centre for Community Nursing, University of Hull Tele-education
Research Seminar Programme 2000
18 October 2000 'Constipation and laxative use in older adults' Tim Jenkinson
and Val Hyde, HIS Plymouth (seminar transmitted by satellite from the Institute
of Health Studies, University of Plymouth). All seminars are free of charge
and take place in the George Barnes Lecture Theatre, East Riding Campus, University
of Hull on Wednesday between 2.00pm - 3.00pm www.hull.ac.uk/hull/health_ps/cn/seminars.htm
USEFUL SITES UK
online for business www.ukonlineforbusiness.gov.uk is the new face and name of the Information Society Initiative. The new brand is part of UK online, a nationwide initiative to create a base which puts the UK at the forefront of e-business.
UKTA CIRCULATIONS
The following circulations have been sent to members during
September:
Telemedicine project in India with 100 satellite medical centres.
Contact: Neeraj R Bhatnagar email: corprat@nde.vrsnl.net.in
European Project developing virtual hospitals in Europe. Contact
jari.forsstrom@atuline.com
Avon Health Authority Telemedicine workshop, Thursday 26 October
2000 Contact jean.hodges@userm.avonhealth.swest.nhs.uk
Medinfo2001 - the informatics route to knowledge - towards global
health. ExCel Congress Centre, London September 2-5 2001. Call for papers
now out on the website www.medinfo2001.org
Call for help from Parkside Health NHS Trust with a research
project to evaluate the use of telemedicine in primary care linking GP surgeries
with the Royal Homeopathic Hospital. Contact Ricky Banarsee email: rbpkside@yahoo.com
American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Update. ATA email contact: info@americantelemed.org
AND FINALLY......
The success of the newsletter depends very much on you! We want
the newsletter to be a tool for you to raise awareness to other members of
the work in which you are involved. This might be the development of new clinical
services, telecare products or new initiatives.
We will also keep you informed of the work of the UKTA and forthcoming
conferences, workshops and seminars around the globe.
If you would like to contribute to the next circulation please
email monica@denwales.freeserve.co.uk
with your information
Please forward this newsletter to other colleagues who may find
it of interest.
Monica Dennis
Administration Officer
UK eHealth Association,
Britannia House,
11 High Street,
Cowbridge,
Vale of Glamorgan,
CF71 7AD
Tel and fax: 01446 775189
Mobile: 0780 844 2079
Email: monica@denwales.freeserve.co.uk
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