Methodological issues for the information model of a knowledge-based telehealthcare system for nephrology (Nefrotel)

Several studies point out the paradox that classic telemedicine by which doctor interacts remotely with patients in real-time is disappearing despite it has not been widely adopted yet. Many cues indicate that health information technologies will be finally adopted because of the growth in health expenditure and the emerging healthcare challenges. Notwithstanding, a detailed analysis of the referred concern has led us to propose a shift in the paradigm of telemedicine systems. This paper presents the major methodological issues of the information model of a novel telehealthcare system for nephrology (Nefrotel) which supports the cited shift in the paradigm. With this objective, we first revise the technological requirements of the database of Nefrotel, and second analyze the current scenario of health information model standards. Our study has shown that it is possible to ensure the compliance and evolution of Nefrotel with information model standards, maximizing its interoperability.