Ricetta elettronica e certificati on line: analisi giuridica in ottica sicurezza e privacy

[Medical electronic prescriptions and certificates online: legal analysis on security and privacy]The objective of the digitization of the medical prescriptions and certificate takes shape in our legislative system through complex rules, disseminated in a variety of interventions. The author of this article discusses in detail the legislation on electronic prescribing, since Decree Law. 269 of 30 September 2003 up to the data protection code. In addition to the electronic prescription by the family doctor, the author also presents the legal regulations concerning the issuance of medical certificates to be sent via Internet to the administrative control agency and to employer.The data protection code is a fundamental point, especially for the obligations imposed on the general practitioner regarding the information to be signed by the patient and the ownership of the data requested. Given the sensitivity of the data processed, security must be particularly ensured.The author finally illustrates the creation of databases in the health sector, emphasizing that it is an operation of extreme importance in terms of privacy, therefore should be paid great attention to the use of security measures

Incorporating telemedicine into the integrated care of the COPD patient a summary of an interdisciplinary workshop held in Stresa, Italy, 7-8 September 2017

This report is a summary of a workshop focusing on using telemedicine to facilitate the integrated care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Twenty-five invited participants from 8 countries met for one and one-half days in Stresa, Italy on 7–8 September 2017, to discuss this topic. Participants included physiotherapists, nurses, a nurse practitioner, and physicians. While evidence-based data are always at the center of sound inference and recommendations, at this point in time the science behind telemedicine in COPD remains under-developed; therefore, this document reflects expert opinion and consensus. While telemedicine has great potential to expand and improve the care of our COPD patients, its application is still in its infancy. While studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in some patient-centered outcomes, the results are by no means consistently positive. Whereas this tool may potentially reduce health care costs by moving some medical interventions from centralized locations in to patient's home, its cost-effectiveness has had mixed results and telemonitoring has yet to prove its worth in the COPD population. These discordant results should not be unexpected in view of patient complexity and the heterogeneity of telemedicine. This is reflected in the very limited support offered by the National Health Services to a wider application of telemedicine in the integrated care of COPD patients. However, this situation should challenge us to develop the necessary science to clarify the role of telemedicine in the medical management of our patients, providing a better and definitive scientific basis to this approach