Bringing hope to the world! Hope Hospitals, India

The NHS Confederation thinks doctors are blocking telemedicine. Sophie Curtis thinks there are good reasons for this I am a genuine believer in the revolutionary power of ICT to reduce inefficiencies within society, but just occasionally I come across an example of when this ‘digitalisation’ trend goes a step too far. A report released on 20 January by the NHS Confederation – which represents about 95 percent of trusts and other NHS bodies – enthusiastically embraces telemedicine and IT programmes, claiming that “active and passive resistance” from clinicians is holding back technological innovation in the healthcare sector. “For too long the development of digital health tools has been stifled by assumptions about what patients want,” the report states (pdf). “There are doubtless many patients for whom remote services have little appeal or value. However, the current approach is an indiscriminate one – predominantly offering only a face...