Denmark’s Digital Healthcare Out In Front

Webcams, Notebooks, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity are transforming Denmark’s remote healthcare set-up.

The New York Times reports that patients can ‘visit’ their doctor without ever having to leave home.  Patients routinely update their own medical readings electronically ahead of video consultations with doctors and nursing staff at local hospitals.

Patients can look up their own health records online and all prescriptions are delivered electronically with doctors, patients and pharmacies all sharing access to the system. Even paramedics in ambulances can update patient records in real time whilst on their way into the emergency room.

The country embraced ‘telemedicine’ over ten years ago with an electronic record-keeping service now estimated to save the national health system over $120m each year.

Denmark’s regulated service and largely free-at-point-of-care system is credited with having established a positive environment for electronic healthcare to forge ahead.  Nonetheless, it is beginning to attract interest from other parts of the world, not least from the USA which is itself on the brink of major healthcare reforms.

photo: apoxapox (cc)