As a growing proportion of the world's population lives in cities it is increasingly important that municipal authorities ensure the communications infrastructure capable of providing advanced healthcare services in urban areas is in place. The pressing need for telecare and telemedicine services will be one of the subjects addressed at the Wireless and Digital Cities Conference, held in Barcelona between the 11th and 13th of November. At the conference Peter Kruger, Analyst at Wireless Healthcare, will be chairing a session dedicated to the use of wireless and mobile health networks in modern cities.
It was physician John Snow who, while seeking the cause of the 1854 cholera outbreak in London, laid the foundations for modern epidemiology. Since then a systematic approach to identifying potential health threats has been key to maintaining the wellbeing of urban populations. The advent of modern IT systems and communications networks has seen an explosion in the market for systems that monitor disease and deliver healthcare services in cities. Increasingly, such systems are being built on wireless networking platforms.
In the current economic climate civic leaders may be tempted to cut back on healthcare related IT spending. However, in the opinion of Analyst Peter Kruger, one of the authors of the report 'Wireless Healthcare 2008', making such cuts could prove costly in the long run. "In most large cities healthcare providers are already under pressure and in many cases it is only the use of advanced IT that ensures they remain ahead of a range of threats created by urbanisation." Kruger points to the monitoring and containment of the SARS outbreak as a case in point. "A disease can travel from one city to another for the price of a budget airline ticket," explains Kruger, "so we must ensure that healthcare providers can monitor disease and support healthcare delivery using the same sort of technology airlines use to reduce the cost of air travel."
The healthcare session at the Wireless and Digital Cities conference will include presentations by Dr Esko Alasaarela, of the University of Oulu, on the use of secure and reliable wireless networks to improve patient relationships. Dr Malcolm Fisk of the Telecare Services Association will talk about creating social sustainability using mobile and wireless technology, and Professor Roger Orpwood of Bath Institute of Medical Engineering will describe the building of social sustainability using mobile and wireless technology. Ian Laughton of Project Nomad will explain how mobile technology can be used to provide an integrated approach to information for social workers. Josep Maria Colomé of i2cat will describe the provision of a neurological attention service using telemedicine.
About Wireless Healthcare
Wireless Healthcare are UK based analysts specialising in mobile and wireless technology in the healthcare sector and their most recent report, Wireless Healthcare 2008, examines the current market for wireless technology in the healthcare sector.
Wireless Healthcare
About Wireless and Digital Cities
The Wireless and Digital Cities conference is being held in the World Trade Centre, Barcelona between the 11th and 13th November and will bring together individuals and organisations focused on applications for wireless technology in cities throughout Europe.
Wireless and Digital Cities