20/11/2008

The European Commission honoured the telemedicine unit of Sotiria Hospital with a special distinction for the innovative exploitation of new informatics and communication technologies (ICT), for combating the exclusion of socially sensitive groups of patients, and more specifically, elderly people suffering from chronic diseases. The e-Inclusion awards are given to private, public and non-profit making organisations across Europe, whose activities contribute to the digital and social incorporation of citizens, thereby improving the quality of their lives.

The telemedicine unit of "Sotiria" hospital is included in the list of award-winning bodies in the category ?Inclusive Public Services?. In total, awards were distributed to 35 organisations from 7 different categories. In the competition were 469 candidates from 34 European countries. The distinction that the telemedicine unit of the hospital received as the only one awarded to Greece.

The Telemedicine Unit of ?Sotiria? Hospital started operation in March 1999, with a research and therapeutic role, with the aim of adopting new technologies in every-day medical procedures. The services which it provides include:

- Complete and communal monitoring and care at home
- Early discharge from the hospital and bed rest at home
- Home recovery
- Distance monitoring and support
- Personal and mobile monitoring systems
- Management of chronic diseases.

For the achievement of its aims, the Unit exploits technological solutions which ensure two-way interactive audio-visual communication between doctor and patient in real time, the transmission in real time of patient bio-signals (electro-cardiogram, blood pressure, electronic stethoscope, etc) the continuous monitoring of medical bio-signals via pioneering and innovative biomedical wearable systems. Finally, the unit has intelligent access systems to medical libraries, via the internet, through management software for the automatic presentation of the most recent medical instructions.

Source: elemedicine Unit of "Sotiria" Hospital