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www.vodafone.com
Six German clinics have joined forces to implement a field test with the aim of establishing how UMTS mobile phones might be used in telemedicine. Vodafone is providing technical support and the necessary mobile phones and SIM cards for the project.
Research into telemedicine applications for the new UMTS mobile communication technology is still in its early stages. Now that the first tests on the use of camphones for the transmission of X-rays have come to a successful conclusion, the research teams are investigating the possible uses of UMTS in the field of telemedicine. They are also focusing on videotelephony applications for the first time.
The first field tests on neurosurgical telemedicine applications for camphones were implemented in Germany at the Rotemburg Hospital's Neurological Clinic between August 2003 and March 2004.
A pilot project with scientific evaluation was launched on the basis of a jointly developed project plan in April 2004. Vodafone sponsored the project and the first results were obtained in July 2004.
"This first project shows that it is possible to photograph X-rays with a camphone and to send them to a consultant for his opinion via MMS. The advantage is that prompter decisions can be made in medical emergencies and external specialists can easily be involved in the diagnosis. "I'm sure that we will discover many new and interesting telemedicine applications as a result of the UMTS field test," said Dr. Thomas Eichmann, Chief Consultant at Rotenburg Hospital's Neurosurgery Clinic.
The following clinics are participating in the field test: Rotenburg (Wmme) Hospital, Gttingen University Clinic, the Hanover Nordstadt Clinic, Leipzig University Clinic,
Rostock University Clinic and the Ruprecht-Karl University of Heidelberg. In each case, the test is taking place in the neurosurgical departments of these hospitals and clinics. The field test commenced in December 2004 and will continue until 31 March 2005. If necessary, it will be extended until the end of June.
Michael Hallen, Head of the Small Business Marketing Department at Vodafone, is the project manager. He explained, "The core benefit of every business application is that it enables us to gain additional time and improve our efficiency. Vodafone is deliberately combining its activities to promote the acceptance of the UMTS network in the medical community with pioneering field research in order to prove that opportunities exist for state-of-the-art technology in highly complex emergency medicine. This effectively documents our commitment to the environment and our customers."
Vodafone has provided the necessary mobile phones and SIM cards for the field tests so that the participating hospitals and clinics do not incur any costs for the use of the mobile communication technology. The mobile phone used in the test is the Motorola E1000 UMTS, which has a very large display and excellent megapixel image quality.
The following hospitals and clinics are participating in the field test:
DIAKONIEKRANKENHAUS Rotenburg (Wmme) GmbH
Elise-Averdieck-Strasse 17, 27356 Rotenburg (Wuemme)
Dr. Thomas Eichmann
Georg-August University, Gttingen, Clinic and Polyclinic for Neurosurgery
Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075 Goettingen
Dr. Daniel Weigel
Hanover Nordstadt Clinic
Haltenhoffstrasse 41, 30167 Hanover
Prof. Dr. med. habil. Michael R. Gaab
Leipzig University Clinic, Clinic and Polyclinic for Neurosurgery
Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig Prof.
Dr. med. Jrgen Meixensberger
Rostock University Clinic, Surgical Clinic and Polyclinic
Schillingallee 35, 18057 Rostock
Prof. Dr. med. J. Piek
Ruprecht-Karl University Heidelberg, Neurosurgical University Clinic
Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg
Dr. med., Priv.-Doz. Karl Kiening, Chief Consultant |
