As a result of higher requirements on patient safety, efficiency and medical outcome, pre-hospital healthcare is increasingly becoming an integral part of the overall healthcare system. The significance of care processes, fast tracks and cooperation between stakeholders and systems is growing. This implies a partly changed role, but also a need for new tools to support this way of working.
Focus on safety, efficiency and medical outcome
In the future, the population will be subjected to mainly the same types of illnesses as today but will be older and suffer from chronic and multiple illnesses to a greater extent. Simultaneously, there will most probably be a relative reduction in care resources. This scenario will require new solutions and methods to increase efficiency and secure better medical outcome with the resources at hand. A variety of IT solutions will play an important role. These can often be included in the eHealth concept - an area where IT, telecom and “traditional” medical technology are brought together with both medical and care needs.
eHealth solutions change pre-hospital care
Focus on safety, efficiency and medical outcome also applies to pre-hospital care. Finding new ways for smooth cooperation between stakeholders through, for example, integrated care processes and fast tracks for selected conditions is of great importance. It is also important to introduce an IT-based documentation and decision support system, as well as follow-up possibilities in all operations. This enables cooperation as well as development of the operations and processes. Good communication and integration between all involved activities and systems in eHealth solutions is a prerequisite.
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