Towards E-cooperation and E-inclusion Between Countries by Health Networks and Telemedicine

SUMMARY. Health networks and Telemedicine systems within and between European countries (as those of Adriatic and Balkan area) can promote e-health applications in the European Regions by ICT applications. That permits the exchange of medical information and knowledge in order to support teleconsulting and telemonitoring activities and the linking of hospitals and health structures. The medical data exchanged can improve care and treatment of patients. This cooperation and inclusion by means health networks between institutions of EU and not EU countries is also the main objectives of FP7 program in e-Health (application of health networks, of telemedicine systems, of smart cards in the frame of health information systems, etc.). Nowadays in Europe there are radical changes in health care: ICT can support better administrative processes and patients care activities in ambulatory and in to the hospitals, in diseases prevention and health promotion, in rehabilitation and even in telehomecare. Computer based patient records, health networks and telemedicine systems will be the most visible development in the years ahead. The creation of networks among the groups working in the area of telemedicine and medical informatics permits several advantages as: a) possibility to exploit the specific competencies of each one of the e-Cooperation and e-Inclusion partners; b) access to up-to-date information on the state of the art of the research and the application. Cooperation between groups studying and developing this field of health care system. These health/medical networks will undoubtedly add value to the European area and in particular for the academic, research and health institutions in countries in pre-adhesion phase to E.U. Several cooperation projects in this field now exist between Italy and some European countries. In particular here it will be presented the Inter-Hospital Project between Italy and Romania.