Michael Nerlich1*, Tanja Herbst1 , Antonio Ernstberger1 , Markus Blaetzinger2

1 Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

2 AUC - Akademie der Unfallchirurgie GmbH Munich, Munich, Germany

Corresponding Author: Michael Nerlich, MD, Professor, Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. Tel: 0941/944-6805, Email: 该Email地址已收到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它您需要在浏览器中启用JavaScript。

Received February 4, 2019; Accepted April 25, 2019; Online Published June 6, 2019

Abstract

       Today telemedicine, or eHealth, is an important tool in everyday medical life. In all areas, from the preclinical to aftercare, significant improvements in communication structures have been seen in various eHealth options, which have had significant, positive effects on the quality of patient care in orthopedics and trauma surgery. Initially, there were several isolated solutions and many small individual projects; however, there was a lack of interdisciplinary and comprehensive systems in all healthcare fields. The German Trauma Society (DGU) together with the AUC GmbH took the lead and paved the way for a modulated, comprehensive, interface-compatible teleradiology system. Nevertheless, there are still deficits across all sectors which, in the future, will need to be optimized by eHealth methods and systems. Overall, there is an effort towards patient-centered solutions (patient empowerment). In Germany, telemedicine has gradually gained acceptance in various sectors and is being used nationwide. Telemedicine has proven itself, especially in trauma networks.

Keywords: Telemedicine, Teleradiology, eHealth, Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery, Patient Care, Patient Participation

Yangyang Han, BS, Reidar K Lie, MD, PhD, and Rui Guo, PhD

Abstract

Background

The internet hospital is an innovative organizational form and service mode under the tide of internet plus in the Chinese medical industry. It is the product of the interaction between consumer health needs and supply-side reform. However, there has still been no systematic summary of its establishment and definition, nor has there been an analysis of its service content.

Objective

The primary purpose of this study was to understand the definition, establishment, and development status of internet hospitals.

Methods

Data on internet hospitals were obtained via the Baidu search engine for results up until January 1, 2019. Based on the results of the search, we obtained more detailed information from the official websites and apps of 130 online hospitals and formed a database for descriptive analysis.

Results

By January 2019, the number of registered internet hospitals had expanded to approximately 130 in 25 provinces, accounting for 73.5% of all provinces or province-level municipalities in China. Internet hospitals, as a new telehealth model, are distinct but overlap with online health, telemedicine, and mobile medical. They offer four kinds of services—convenience services, online medical services, telemedicine, and related industries. In general, there is an underlying common treatment flowchart of care in ordinary and internet hospitals. There are three different sponsors—government-led integration, hospital-led, and enterprise-led internet hospitals—for which stakeholders have different supporting content and responsibilities.

Conclusions

Internet hospitals are booming in China, and it is the joint effort of the government and the market to alleviate the coexistence of shortages of medical resources and wasted medical supplies. The origin of internet hospitals in the eastern and western regions, the purpose of the establishment initiator, and the content of online and offline services are different. Only further standardized management and reasonable industry freedom can realize the original intention of the internet hospital of meeting various health needs.

Keywords: Internet hospital, telehealth, telemedicine, ehealth, digital health, digital medicine, health services research, China

Authors: Amy Purohit,A James SmithB and Arthur HibbleC

ABSTRACT

       In the rapidly progressing field of telemedicine, there is a multitude of evidence assessing the effectiveness and financial costs of telemedicine projects; however, there is very little assessing the environmental impact despite the increasing threat of the climate emergency. This report provides a systematic review of the evidence on the carbon footprint of telemedicine. The identified papers unanimously report that telemedicine does reduce the carbon footprint of healthcare, primarily by reduction in transport-associated emissions. The carbon footprint savings range between 0.70–372 kg CO2e per consultation. However, these values are highly context specific. The carbon emissions produced from the use of the telemedicine systems themselves were found to be very low in comparison to emissions saved from travel reductions. This could have wide implications in reducing the carbon footprint of healthcare services globally. In order for telemedicine services to be successfully implemented, further research is necessary to determine context-specific considerations and potential rebound effects.

KEYWORDS: telemedicine, sustainability, e-health, carbon footprint

DOI: 10.7861/fhj.2020-0080