ATTRACT--applications in telemedicine taking rapid advantage of cable television network evolution

ATTRACT is a project that intends to provide telemedicine services over Cable Television Networks. ATTRACT is an European Commission funded project (Healthcare Telematics). The main objective of ATTRACT is to take advantage of emerging European Cable Television network infrastructures and offer cost-effective care to patients at home. This will be achieved through a set of broadband network applications that competitively provide low cost interactive health-care services at home. The applications will be based on existing or developing European Cable Television network infrastructures in order to provide all kind of users with affordable homecare services. It is ATTRACT's intention that citizens and users benefit from high quality access to home telemedical services which also implies cost savings for patients, their families and the already over burdened health institutions. In addition, the European industries will have extensive opportunities to develop, evaluate and validate broadband network infrastructures providing multimedia and interactive telemedical services at home. ATTRACT contributes to the EU telecommunications and telematics policy objectives that promote the development and validation of "applications and services" which "provide an intelligent telematic environment for the patient in institutions and other points of care that helps the patient to continue, as far as possible, normal activities and external communication".