NHS to use hi-tech systems
The NHS is to introduce new online systems for patients
The NHS is set to introduce new technology in Scottish households to improve its services, it has been announced.
Under plans unveiled at the first annual Scottish Telehealth and Telecare conference, touchscreen systems will be added to the homes of patients in Lothian suffering from chronic conditions so experts can monitor them remotely.
The move to invest £1.6 million in 16 eHealth technology projects will also see online scanning programs used on islands, including Orkney, so patients can avoid difficult or lengthy trips to hospitals on the mainland.
Software will also be introduced in Glasgow to transmit people's records to consulting rooms.
Funding for the innovative systems has come from the country's government and the NHS's main IT partner Atos Origin Alliance, which has strategic partnerships with software giants including IBM and Microsoft.
Discussing the plans, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the use of new technology would improve efficiency and support in the sector.
She added: "Telehealthcare technologies and eHealth have huge potential to benefit patients, by harnessing all that technology can offer to make care quicker, safer and closer to home."
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