Global telemedicine services – what can be learned from telemedicine in Norway? Gunnar HARTVIGSEN a,b , Johan Gustav BELLIKA a,b , Per E. HASVOLD a , Anne G. EKELAND a,c , Eirik ÅRSAND a,b , Alexander HORSCH b,c,d , Steinar PEDERSEN e a Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine, UNN, Tromsø, Norway b Dept. of Comp. Sci., Faculty of Science and Technology, Univ. of Tromsø, Norway c Dept. of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Norway d Dept. of Medical Stat. and Epidemiology, Technische Universität München, Germany e Tromsø Telemedicine Consult AS, Tromsø, Norway Abstract. The workshop gives an overview of telemedicine in Tromsø and North Norway since the first telemedicine projects were started in 1987-1988 and dis- cusses how knowledge of and lessons learned from the pioneering telemedicine services established in Tromsø can be used worldwide. The first projects in Tromsø were initiated at Televerket's research institute together with Norut IT (re- search centre at University of Tromsø), Tromsø Regional Hospital (later Univer- sity Hospital of North Norway - UNN), Kirkenes Hospital and Troms Military Hospital. In 1993, Department of Telemedicine at UNN was established. In 1999, it became the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (NST), and was labelled as a Centre of expertise in telemedicine. In 2002, NST was appointed as the first World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Telemedicine. In 2007, NST, to- gether with 7 partners, established Tromsø Telemedicine Laboratory, a centre for research-based innovation, funded by the Research Council of Norway and the partners. Today, NST (from 2009: Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Te- lemedicine) is with its more than 120 employees a driving force in telemedicine research and development. Keywords. Telemedicine, telehealth, ehealth, remote consultation 1. Background The workshop provides an overview for anyone who wants to better understand how telemedicine services can improve medical specialists’ and general practitioners’ health care, particularly in rural areas. The workshop offers insight into more than twenty years experience with telemedicine services in Norway and is based on the pioneering activity at the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST) at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN). Northern Norway Health Care Region is geographically long and travelling can at times be very difficult [1]. Many telemedicine services help patients to avoid tiresome trips to hospitals and other healthcare institutions and offices. Some telemedical ser- vices have resulted in reduced waiting times. At a longer term, telemedicine could help to fulfil the national objective of providing equal access to health care irrespective of where the patient lives [1]. 23 rd International Conference of the European Federation for Medical Informatics User Centred Networked Health Care - A. Moen et al. (Eds.) MIE 2011 / CD / Workshops