Collaboration between Professionals: The Use of Videoconferencing for Delivering E-Health
Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Box 35, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway
Future Internet 2012, 4(2), 362-371; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi4020362
Received: 15 March 2012 / Revised: 29 March 2012 / Accepted: 30 March 2012 / Published: 2 April 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Future e-Health)
This article explores the ways in which collaboration between professionals using videoconferencing affects the e-health delivered to patients. In Norway, general practitioners (GPs) and specialists routinely hold videoconferences. Observations of 42 VC meetings, each lasting from 5 to 40 min, were analysed in terms of the interactions. In addition, five semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted, each lasting from 20 to 70 minutes. Statements were selected to illustrate the content of the interactions and how collaborative work affects the delivery of healthcare. Successful collaborative work provides practitioners with a new way of thinking: exchanging information and knowledge between levels of care in order to provide the best treatment for patients locally. The regularity makes the collaborative work a two-way achievement. GPs receive decision support and second opinions, and specialists receive information and opportunities to follow up. How the professionals manage their work (i.e., collaborating) may benefit their patients. The regular use of videoconferencing will furnish professionals with enhanced resources for the meeting of patients’ demands in the future. Regularly informing one another and exchanging knowledge, benefits the professionals by providing increased certainty with regard to their medical decisions, and it benefits the patients because they will feel satisfied with the competence of the specialists where they live.
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Keywords:
collaborative work; e-health; videoconference; professionals; knowledge
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License
MDPI and ACS Style
Nilsen, L.L. Collaboration between Professionals: The Use of Videoconferencing for Delivering E-Health. Future Internet 2012, 4, 362-371. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi4020362
AMA Style
Nilsen LL. Collaboration between Professionals: The Use of Videoconferencing for Delivering E-Health. Future Internet. 2012; 4(2):362-371. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi4020362
Chicago/Turabian StyleNilsen, Line Lundvoll. 2012. "Collaboration between Professionals: The Use of Videoconferencing for Delivering E-Health" Future Internet 4, no. 2: 362-371. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi4020362
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