A. Tsilimigaki et al., Eighteen months' experience with remote diagnosis, management and education in congenital heart disease, J TELEMED T, 7(4), 2001, pp. 239-243
In July 1998, a telemedicine link was established between the Venizelio Gen
eral Hospital in Crete and the Paediatric Cardiology Department of the Aghi
a Sophia Children's Hospital in Athens. The telemedicine link used ISDN at
384 kbit/s for diagnosis, management and education in congenital heart dise
ase. Over 18 months, a total of 39 teleconsultations were carried out, conc
erning 93 children with haemodynamically significant cardiac abnormalities.
Forty-four children (47%) were managed locally after teleconsultation, whi
le three children with transposition of the great arteries (3%) were transp
orted as emergency cases to Athens in the first days of life. The other 46
children (50%) had a scheduled appointment at a tertiary centre for cardiac
catheterization, angiocardiography, operative treatment or surgical repair
. The telemedicine link brought a number of benefits, such as better access
to the tertiary centre and the avoidance of patient transportation.