Global CTOs call for faster progress on e-health standards

BUSINESS

A meeting of 21 CTOs from leading ICT companies has urged ITU to accelerate technical standardisation work in the field of e-health.

CTOs stressed that reliable, interoperable standards are key to providing patients and health professionals with the means to utilise remote consultation services, advanced ICT-based diagnostic procedures and electronic health information services.

The meeting, which was held in Geneva during ITU Telecom World 2011, agreed that international coordination on standards will be vital, and that growth in telemedicine services will also demand aggressive roll-out of broadband networks.

The CTOs encouraged ITU, as the world’s leading developer of global ICT standards, to intensify its involvement by developing essential e-health infrastructure standards, and by cooperating with other standards bodies to create reliable, secure and interoperable e-health solutions.

Dr Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General, ITU: “ITU greatly profits from and welcomes the advice of these technology leaders. E-health will bring cutting-edge medical advice to people living in remote, underserved areas, and will revolutionize access to health services in the developing world. ITU is actively working with all parties to create the frameworks for these technologies to be rolled-out on a solid bedrock of broadband deployment.”