TME16/459: S.I.TE. Project: Spinal injury and Telemedicine

INTRODUCTION: A meeting held in Augusta, in November '98, proposed the launch of a Telemedicine application in order to improve spinal trauma rehabilitation protocols. This medical area, as many others, is still populated by diverse ideas and doubts on the possible protocol of intervention: a common protocol tying together surgical, rehabilitation, orthopaedic and neurological medicine can lead to significant results. METHODS: Scope of this project, is to realise a network (virtual-line) using Internet, connecting Italian and German spinal centres interested on this protocol, and to allow for the exchange of data, clinical reports, images, with different levels of interaction: 1. Store and forward: E. mail; Attached documents; News group. 2. Real time: Videoconferencing system and electronic board. External users may have restricted access to specific information, although we can see the results of the work in a web site always kept updated RESULTS: The specification phase is now complete and at present the work is progressing towards the realisation phase. DISCUSSION: This application is very interesting from different points of view: 1. It is a new Telemedicine application. 2. It uses Internet, hence transportation cost are marginal and its reliance on de facto standard browser eases further applications development and portability. 3. It fosters a new approach to co-operative research in medicine.