Nationwide Deployment of Telemedicine (DK0056)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Denmark Action Plan 2017-2019
Action Plan Cycle: 2017
Status:
Institutions
Lead Institution: Danish Agency for Digitisation
Support Institution(s): The Ministry of Health, Implementation of the commitment will be fulfilled by regional governments and/or local governments
Policy Areas
Health, Public Service DeliveryIRM Review
IRM Report: Denmark Implementation Report 2017-2019, Denmark Design Report 2017–2019
Early Results: Did Not Change
Design i
Verifiable: No
Relevant to OGP Values: Yes
Ambition (see definition): Low
Implementation i
Description
What is the public problem that the commitment will address?: There is an increasing demand among citizens and their relatives to be more involved in their treatment so that it is adjusted towards meeting the citizen’s and not the system’s needs. Moreover, the demographic development poses a challenge to the health sector as more people need treatment within the existing financial framework; What is the commit-ment?: The Government has reached an agreement with Local Government Denmark and Danish Regions that telemedicine for pregnant women experiencing compli-cations and patients with COPD will be provided as a treatment option country- wide.; How will the com-mitment contribute to solve the public problem?: By reaching an agreement to extend telemedicine to patients with COPD and pregnant women experiencing complications, the Danish Government hopes to be able to offer more citizen-centric treatment. Studies have shown that treat-ment using telemedicine strengthens the citizens and increases their interest in their treatment. Moreover, telemedicine contributes to more efficient treatment and thus to over-coming the demographic challenges posed by an increasing number of elderly people and chronically ill people, and continuously rising healthcare costs. Finally, the joint-public agreements on the development of telemedicine will entail that best practices will be applied countrywide.; Why is this com-mitment relevant to OGP values?: The commitment is relevant, because it contributes to empowering citizens by allowing them to be treated in their own home, giving them better knowledge of their illness and allowing them to become an active part of their own treatment; Additional infor-mation: For further information about the commitment, see: https://www.digst.dk/Digital-velfaerd
IRM Midterm Status Summary
Commitment 7: Nationwide deployment of telemedicine
Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:
The Government has reached an agreement with Local Government Denmark and Danish Regions that telemedicine for pregnant women experiencing complications and patients with COPD will be provided as a treatment option country-wide.
Milestones:
7.1 Telemedical solution for patients with COPD has been purchased and is ready for operation
7.2 Telemedicine for patients with COPD is widespread nationwide
7.3 Telemedicine for pregnant women with complications has been disseminated to all maternity departments
Start Date: 1 July 2017
End Date: 31 December 2020
Editorial note: For the full text of this commitment, see "The Danish OGP National Action Plan 2017–2019," Danish Agency for Digitisation, https://en.digst.dk/policy-and-strategy/open-government/open-government-partnership-ogp-action-plan/, pp. 18–19.
Context and Objectives
According to the commitment text, Danish citizens increasingly demand to be involved in their own medical treatment and demand that it be adapted to their needs. Demographic changes are seen as affecting the health care system, as more people demand treatment while government resources remain the same.
This commitment's solution involves offering telemedicine to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and to pregnant women with complications, for a more citizen-centric treatment. "Telemedicine" refers to a supplement to standard treatment of chronic patients. It includes technological solutions meant to engage citizens in the management of their own health and to promote their active participation in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of their health. Examples include easy access to training and educational materials on web portals and training apps for smartphones.[Note : "Telemedicin og Telesundhed," The Danish Health Data Authority, https://sundhedsdatastyrelsen.dk/da/rammer-og-retningslinjer/telemedicin-og-telesundhed. ]
The commitment makes innovative use of technology in the health sector. It also provides citizens with increased access to personal health data through the application of telemedicine applications in their homes. Thus, the commitment also contributes to the access to information value.
The commitment is not fully verifiable, as there are no start dates for the first two milestones. Furthermore, the commitment, as described in the action plan, is unclear regarding the technological element of the telemedicine solution being provided. Moreover, the website listed in the action plan—https://www.digst.dk/Digital-velfaerd— is not working.
The IRM researcher considers the potential impact of the initiative to be minor. The initiative could provide citizens with an innovative way to approach their health care treatment through the use of telemedicine. It may also strengthen their access to information. However, it does not substantially improve citizen engagement on open government and has limited verifiability as written.
Next steps
· If the commitment is carried over to the next action plan, the overview of the commitment could be further specified, particularly regarding the technological elements of telemedicine. Furthermore, the milestones should be specified.
· The IRM researcher also recommends that further analysis be carried out to determine whether patients and health care providers are fully supportive of and comfortable with this new form of technology.
IRM End of Term Status Summary
7. Nationwide deployment of telemedicine
Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan:
“The Government has reached an agreement with Local Government Denmark and Danish Regions that telemedicine for pregnant women experiencing complications and patients with COPD will be provided as a treatment option country-wide.”
Milestones:
- Telemedical solution for patients with COPD has been purchased and is ready for operation
- Telemedicine for patients with COPD is widespread nationwide
- Telemedicine for pregnant women with complications has been disseminated to all maternity departments
Start Date: 1 July 2017
End Date: 31 December 2020
Editorial note: For the full text of this commitment, see “The Danish OGP National Action Plan 2017–2019”, Danish Agency for Digitisation, pp. 18–19, https://en.digst.dk/policy-and-strategy/open-government/open-government-partnership-ogp-action-plan/.
IRM Design Report Assessment | IRM Implementation Report Assessment |
· Verifiable: No · Relevant: Access to informaition · Potential impact: Minor | · Completion: Limited · Did it Open Government? Did not Change |
This commitment aimed to offer telemedicine to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to pregnant women with complications, for a more citizen-centric treatment. Telemedicine is a method to deliver health services remotely, either as an independent offer or part of a larger package. Danish citizens have increasingly demanded to be involved in their own medical treatment and demand that it be adapted to their needs. [26]
The dates of the commitment’s milestones, as described in Denmark’s action plan, were revised due to delays in the government’s mid-term self-assessment. [27] As a result, the commitment’s main deliverables will now be fully implemented in 2020, beyond the timeframe of the third action plan. Telemedical solutions for pregnant women with complications is in its initial implementation phase in all regions. Therefore, the overall completion is limited.
The decision to invest in one common infrastructure across all Danish regions and municipalities delayed the implementation of telemedicine to patients with COPD. The decision was based on the need for a more sustainable model that is able to incorporate additional patient groups in the future. [28] The solution for women with complex pregnancies is on track, and will be implemented in 2020. While nation-wide implementation has not yet materialized during the current action plan period, the positive effects of telemedicine on patients in Denmark have been well-documented, [29] and independent solutions are in place in certain regions.
As the commitment will not be fully implemented before 2020, the commitment has not led to any tangible changes so far. Rather, the commitment represents a gradual expansion of already existing solutions in the area of telemedicine.
[26] “Denmark Design Report 2017–2019”, Independent Reporting Mechanism (IRM), https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Denmark_Design-Report_2017-2019_EN.pdf.
[27] “Mid-term Self-Assessment Report on Denmark’s OGP Action Plan 2017-2019”, Danish Agency for Digitisation, Independent Reporting Mechanism.
[28] Ea Busch-Petersen (Danish Regions), interview by IRM researcher, 7 November 2019.
[29] “Afslutningsfolder for det telemedicinske storskalaforsøg i Nordjylland”, TeleCare Nord, available [in Danish] at https://bit.ly/2VWEcbE.