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Solve the Humanware Problem: Take the Full Advantage of Telemedicine



Author(s)

I.H. Monrad Aas

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7332/2013.08.008

Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tonsberg 3103, Norway

Telemedicine’s greatest problem is not found in software and hardware. Many can make software and hardware work. It has for long been clear that telemedicine has diffusion problems. Focus should be shifted over to the humanware. Telemedicine means work is done by virtual organizations. For the future of telemedicine, organizational issues will represent a challenge. Organizations consist of humans in interaction. In Norwegian telemedicine projects, organizational problems were identified and solutions to the problems were designed. More than 40 publications show numerous organizational consequences and numerous types of organizational consequences. When it comes to the solving telemedicine’s organizational problems, learning from the experience others have is important. It is not necessary for all to invent what the organizational problems are. Organizing health care around the physical telecommunication networks is associated with the concept of network organization. The electronic networks become an infrastructure around which single health care providers are distributed. Such network organization means a formation of alliances between organizations. Centralization and decentralization are important terms for all organizing. Telemedicine makes the question of centralization or decentralization relevant. Telemedicine requires collaboration between participating parties. Obtaining the benefits of telemedicine is dependent on implementing the right measures for good collaboration. We know there are problems with telemedicine virtual organizations, but solutions to these problems exist. For the future of telemedicine, doing work with organization is important. Skilled managers have an important role to play.

Telemedicine, virtual organization, network organization, centralization, decentralization, collaboration.