Preliminary results from the deployment of integrated teleconsultation services in rural Crete

Teleconsultation services for cardiology patients have been installed and have been in routine use since December 2000, connecting a primary health centre in rural Crete to a regional hospital. Since efficiency and effectiveness are key factors in the acceptance of the service, integration of the services with the primary health record, support of clinical protocols and guidelines, and continuous evaluation of the services are primary foci of the overall effort. This paper discusses our evaluation approach and presents preliminary results from the utilization of the service between December 2000 and June 2001. The presented results are encouraging, suggesting that the wide deployment of the service will benefit not only the patients but also the GPs, the cardiologists and the health care system