CSC launches global institute to drive future adoption of healthcare technologies

Commenting on the launch, Mark Roman, president of CSC's Global Healthcare Group, said: "While many aspects of healthcare payment differ among countries, the goals of safe, efficient and high-quality care are universal - and technology is a critical component of delivering on these imperatives. Our expertise enables us to deliver key insights and uncover tools and services for use by our clients around the world. We are pleased to create a formal home for our thought leadership activities, which will allow us to share what we learn with the industry."

As the healthcare landscape around the world continues to change, it is increasingly important to provide our customers with credible industry intelligence to enable them to make better-informed business decisions

To coincide with the launch of the institute, CSC has also released a new report entitled Telemedicine - An Essential Technology for Reformed Healthcare, which describes how telemedicine can address current healthcare challenges, including access to care, resource shortages and escalating costs. The document also identifies telemedicine solutions available and already in use. For instance, specialists in Queensland, Australia, are providing rural care through a mobile screening programme that operates as a mobile clinic from a van in remote areas.

Dr Harald Deutsch, vice president of CSC Healthcare EMEA, said: "As the healthcare landscape around the world continues to change, it is increasingly important to provide our customers with credible industry intelligence to enable them to make better-informed business decisions."

While many aspects of healthcare payment differ among countries, the goals of safe, efficient and high-quality care are universal - and technology is a critical component of delivering on these imperatives

He added: "The immediate question for health systems and government/purchasers is where to start and how to make longer-term plans for integrating telemedicine into routine healthcare. Within our report, we make a number of recommendations to organisations considering a telemedicine solution."

The recommendations include:

• Choose one pressing healthcare issue that can be addressed
• Focus on immediate needs and opportunities, but do not overlook the possibility for broader use further down the road, such as adding new services
• Understand current challenges and investigate local and regional efforts that are continuing to chip away at these barriers. For example, in the US, new regulations have recently been announced that enable the credentialing of physicians who use telemedicine for remote care visits across state lines. In Australia, the Connecting Care programme co-ordinated by New South Wales Health will be drawing on a number of products and services to support self monitoring and solutions for patients with chronic conditions. The state-wide initiative will connect doctors, hospitals and community health services. Such knowledge can help organisations to shape a roadmap