Southern Health Board--advanced telematic/telemedicine in healthcare services in the south west of Ireland.

The Southern Health Board has been involved in Telematic Healthcare services for the past number of years. Our involvement in a number of EU funded projects has given us extensive experience and expertise in this area. The primary focus of our telematic applications is optimising health services delivery with a particular emphasis towards people who are isolated due to social and physical boundaries and limitations. Our main projects are:- NIVEMES: (Network of Integrated Vertical Medical Services) includes the exchange of medical information between urban centres and isolated communities including those at sea, rural, elderly and disabled persons. RISE: (Remote Information Services for the Elderly) focuses on the enhanced healthcare services of the elderly and disabled through the use of telemedical applications. HEALTHLINE: To strengthen the successful outcome of Telehealth implementation by specific projects in the EU by providing the expert Training and Information dissemination services to providers, beneficiaries and the general public, using the Telehealth systems and infrastructure applied by those projects. KATE: (Killarney & Telecom Eireann) the SHB in conjunction with the Information Age Town Project in Killarney are working towards benefiting the local community through the innovative use of Information and Communication Technologies. TASTE: (Technology Assessment in Telemedicine) An EU funded trans-national initiative aimed at developing a methodology for assessing medical technology, particularly in the area of Neurosurgery. FECV: (Forward Emergency Control Vehicle) An European Space Agency project through which we are developing an advance communications vehicle for major emergence/event management through Satellite linkage to SHB systems.