The environment for telemedicine in the Canary Islands

We studied the environment for telemedicine in the Canary Islands. The population's attitude to telemedicine was surveyed in 503 questionnaire interviews with doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and patients on the seven islands. Almost half the respondents (46-50% across groups) had a positive opinion of telemedicine. We also collected data about telephone medicine. A total of 479 medical-support telephone calls were made to four doctors, in psychiatry, ophthalmology and paediatrics. The telephone calls resolved the problem in 73% of cases and 86% would have come to the doctor if not made. Therapy was prescribed in 11% and 10% were just for information. The number of telephone calls per day was highest in psychiatry. Finally, we carried out a detailed analysis of the number of transfers between the islands (14,942 people in 1995 and 22,418 in 1996). According to the number of transfers and location of the referral hospital, oncology, psychiatry, dermatology and traumatology were the specialties that would be most likely to benefit from telemedicine.