An architecture for integrated regional health telematics networks

Healthcare is usually delivered within certain organizational boundaries and information produced at each site is managed by isolated autonomous clinical information systems. In some cases point-to-point communication is enabled, facilitating the exchange of information. In contrast, integrated regional health telematics; networks enable accessibility to information and services without visible organizational boundaries, to provide decentralized healthcare through integrated services for seamless and personalized information delivery. This has the advantage that enables informed citizens to have an impact on the healthcare system and to be more concerned and care for their own health. The current vision comprises affordable access to healthcare resources and services for all citizens, thus making medical expertise a shared resource wherever and whenever needed. Important areas in which information society technologies are likely to have a significant impact include those of pre-hospital health emergencies, remote monitoring of patients with chronic conditions, and medical collaboration through sharing of health-related information resources. Accessibility to these and other media-rich, user-oriented. services, in the context of the emerging global information society, will be supported by a healthcare information infrastructure, which can achieve effective horizontal integration of networked information sources.