Teleneurology in Northern Ireland: a success.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2003-00-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In March 1998 two neurologists and a professor of telemedicine met to solve a clinical problem how to get neurological expertise to patients admitted acutely to hospitals which had no resident neurologist Four years later two new consultant neurologists were appointed in Northern Ireland with sessions in telemedicine possibly the first such appointments anywhere in the world This feat was achieved by combining science with politics First we chose the most appropriate telemedicine equipment and bandwidth for our needs Second we altered our neurological consultation to use the technology efficiently Third we were able to show scientifically that teleneurology was reproducible feasible in practice safe acceptable and cost effective This required money to pay for a research fellow and equipment which was obtained initially from some departmental research funds and a local hospital Conventional research funding bodies were on the whole unhelpful It was serendipitous that a review of neurology services in Northern Ireland was set up by the Department of Health This identified our original problem as one that it wanted solved and we were in the fortunate position of being able to offer telemedicine as a tested solution One final political push was required to get the money released The result of this juxtaposition of science and politics should bring benefit to our neurological patients and will perhaps help others trying to establish similar projects elsewhere