Over the past decade, COCIR has become recognised as the association representing the healthcare IT industry in Europe and has gained considerable knowledge on eHealth, including on crucial aspects such as interoperability, electronic health records and telemedicine. COCIR is at the forefront of discussions on eHealth with policymakers and other stakeholders and promotes the development and deployment of eHealth solutions as a key enabler for sustainable healthcare.
COCIR's vision that telemedicine can contribute to disease prevention and leveraging information technology was outlined in the COCIR White Paper 'Towards a sustainable healthcare model'. This vision has been further developed in the Telemedicine Toolkit, released today. The Toolkit contains a Position Paper, a Glossary of Terms and a Database of Referenced Studies on the effectiveness of telemedicine solutions.
All of these tools respond to a need identified by COCIR members to clarify the situation on telemedicine. The Position Paper includes five concrete recommendations for a stronger telemedicine sector in Europe, identifying the combined role of various stakeholders and the importance of working together to secure better access, empower patients, reduce health inequalities and optimise efficiency of the total healthcare system.
COCIR Secretary General, Nicole Denjoy said: "The Telemedicine Toolkit sheds light on the opportunities telemedicine brings for empowering patients, particularly for better management of chronic diseases. The COCIR Glossary of Terms will bring clarity to the field and the database of studies will clearly demonstrate that telemedicine works."
About COCIR
COCIR is the voice of the European Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry. COCIR is a non-profit trade association, founded in 1959, representing the medical technology industry in Europe. COCIR's members play a driving role in developing the future of healthcare in Europe and worldwide. COCIR moved to Brussels in January 2006, establishing a permanent office in Brussels to better represent industry in its relations with the European institutions. In February 2007, COCIR opened a China Desk in Beijing to strengthen its presence and support for its members in China. For more information, visit www.cocir.org.