Telemedicine, i.e. the use of the internet, satellite communication or mobile networks for the delivery of medical services, is still in its infancy in Poland.
Two in three Poles have never heard of its existence or of its availability in the country, the survey shows. A large percentage of respondents (42%) said they liked the general idea, which they associated mainly with arranging visits, remote diagnostics or teleconsultations. That was down from 46% a year earlier.
When asked about specific telemedical services, slightly more people were against than were in favour in all cases, except for arranging a consultation over the phone or the internet (46% in favour versus 44% against). Popular support for e-prescriptions has also fallen, from 63% in 2006 to 41% in 2007.
According to Magdalena Sawinska, healthcare sector leader at TNS OBOP, it is not only the financial woes of the Polish healthcare system that make telemedicine a distant prospect; the survey also shows there are mental and informational barriers to its adoption in Poland.
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Quelle/Source: Polish Market Review, 18.01.2008
