Telemonitoring: Criteria for a Sustainable Implementation

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies appears to be a main lever to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of modern health care systems. In particular, telemonitoring is one of the most promising concepts in enabling patients’ self-management, relocating medical services and improving equity in access to high quality care. However, a large-scale adoption of telemonitoring solutions across Europe has still barely been accomplished. Considering the several dimensions of a system’s implementation, this chapter provides insight on the reasons for the slow diffusion of these innovations in the health sector. Subsequently it illustrates how to take advantage of these systems and outlines what the different stakeholders need to contribute in order to bridge the gap between pilot projects and the diffusion of telemonitoring solutions.