- 9 - ABSTRACTS Telemedicine in South Africa J.B. Fortuin, M. Molefi Since the introduction of computer and the availability of broadband communication there has always been a possibility for the introduction of Telemedicine. Telemedicine is an evolving technology in South Africa. It has been described as “bridging the gap between the have and the have not’s. This emerging technology has been implemented in various areas of health within South Africa. Some of the activities include teledermatology, tele- radiology, health channel and telemedicine product development. The challenges and success of telemedicine activities in South Africa has also been described. The way forward for telemedicine includes advocating for policy, collaboration and ensuring the involvement of all role players especially those on the ground. Key words: telemedicine, primary health care, teledermatology, teleradiology, health channel, HIV/AIDS. Advances in Albanian Medical Informatics and Telemedicine Dr. Edlira Xhemo, Dr. Erion Dasho The purpose of this article was to describe current status and future approach to telemedicine and eHealth in Albania. No medical informatics or telemedicine or e-health activity have been implemented since 1993. Albanian experience with Telemedicine is rather small but good will and desire to work among the enthusi- astic professionals in the field shall lead to new projects and development. Key words: medical informatics, telemedicine, projects. eHealth in Australia S. Kolachalam Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provide the necessary infrastructure and software tools to make connectivity between all healthcare providers possible; thereby moving the concept of "Health" to "eHealth". eHealth is neither an event nor an over-night phenomenon but is a continuum of activities. This paper is a snapshot of key eHealth programs from 1984 to 2005 indicating the progress of eHealth in Australia. Key words: Medicare, HCN, OAICS, MediConnect, HealthConnect. Introducing the Electronic Health Record in Austria Wolfgang Dorda, Georg Duftschmid, Lukas Gerhold, Walter Gall, Jürgen Gambal The Austrian parliament has adopted legislation to introduce the electronic health record under the title ELGA. The present article first discusses several activities of other countries in this context. It then deals with the current situation of healthcare telematics in Austria and the next planned steps to introduce the life-long electronic health record. Key words: Medical Records Systems, Computerized; Public Health Informatics; Computer Communication Networks; Standards.