Telemedicine Scenario for Elderly People with Comorbidity

Progressive population aging is associated with negative social and economic impacts mainly due to its associated comorbidity rather than to aging per se. In this regard, information and communication technology resources may provide useful tools to assist the population with comorbidities through the use of telemedicine systems. However, despite their potential, such systems have not yet been effectively implemented due to a number of different reasons: absence of a clear business plan, poor acknowledgement of their clinical usefulness, and ethical and legal issues, among others. An analysis of current scenario from the point of view of the different actors (patients, health care providers, and health care systems) aimed at identifying the needs to be covered by telemedicine systems that could contribute to overcoming such problems. The present chapter is intended to offer such an analysisPostprint (author’s final draft

Treatment of Partial Deafness: The Polish School in World Science

Introduction of the method of treatment of partial deafness with cochlear implants has given many patients the previously inaccessible chance to (re)enter the world of sounds. This method of treatment had been developed and introduced to the world’s medicine by H. Skarżyński in 2002, after the extensive research since 1997. This task involved creation of a multispecialty team of experts, development of a special surgical method, and concept of the therapy reflecting on the world largest number of hearing improving surgeries being performed for 13 years averaging 15,000 otosurgical procedures yearly. This chapter introduces the treatment of partial deafness, considered as the Polish School in world science and medicine