title: The Varna-Thessaloniki telemedical collaboration in setting up a regional transborder transplantation network.
abstract: In most Balkan countries, with the exception of Greece, transplantation is very rare and equality of access does not exist. In 2003, a Balkan partnership was established called SETNET (South-Eastern European Transplantation Network) for the promotion of transplantation. The objectives are to bring about the diffusion of transplantation techniques and practices in the Balkans, to increase public support for and participation in transplantation, and to eliminate the disparities in access to good health-care. SETNET is already beginning to generate data for an analysis of transplantation-related needs in the Balkans and to accelerate cross-border data exchange in transplantation-related emergencies. In the next few years, a regional training programme will be introduced for all health-care staff involved in transplantation. A regional organ procurement and transplantation network will be set up to utilize the existing telemedicine infrastructure. If successful, it will also prove that telemedicine infrastructures, however modest, can be the backbone for other, far-reaching human networks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. anogian@auth.gr
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anogianakis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ilonidis
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anogeianaki
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lianguris
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsaros
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pseftogianni
authors.forename: Anelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klisarova
authors.forename: Temel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Temelkov
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tatsis
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014180:Transplantation