The relevance of telehealth across the digital divided the transfer of knowledge over distance

This paper explores the concept of Relevance as an explanatory factor to the diffusion of ITuse, or, in this paper particularly, the use of Telehealth. Relevance is the net value of performance expectancy and effort expectancy and contains both micro-relevance (i.e. here-and-now) and macro-relevance (i.e. actual goals) Following the case-study approach, two Telehealth situations were studied in Rwanda and The Netherlands. In the comparison, two more existing studies in Canada and Tanzania were included. The conclusion is that Relevance is the explanatory factor, whereas particularly micro-relevance is crucial. Without the micro-relevant occasions that initiate use, there will be no use on longer term In the cases studied the micro-relevance of knowledge-transfer was crucial. Furthermore distance determined Telehealth relevance. Practical conclusions to cases were drawn

Telecommunication as a medicine for the general practioner

The Internet is suffering from a continuous explosion of users, yet Internet communication in the healthcare chain is still at a low level. Most institutions that should be working together keep their information in-house "for the patient's sake". This research studies the workflow that is concerned with the status of the patient in the healthcare chain. The functional integration of all healthcare chain components is an objective that might be utopia, but electronic prescriptions and electronic medical records combined with strong communication facilities create many possibilities to make a step in the right direction. Communication is a strong weapon for the strategic use of information systems. Although at this moment in time, most patient information is transmitted by paper or by telephone, the near future will show the introduction of the electronic life of the patient. The main result of the first phase of this study is that general practitioners should not be seduced with money and quality aspects to improve their information systems. What they need is a reduction of time pressure and a means to communicate with the environment