title: Telemedicine for cardiovascular disease continuum: A position paper from the Italian Society of Cardiology Working Group on Telecardiology and Informatics.
abstract: Telemedicine is the provision of health care services, through the use of information and communication technology, in situations where the health care professional and the patient, or 2 health care professionals, are not in the same location. It involves the secure transmission of medical data and information, through text, sound, images, or other forms needed for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of a patient. First data on implementation of telemedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction date from more than 10 years ago. Telemedicine has a potential broad application to the cardiovascular disease continuum and in many branches of cardiology, at least including heart failure, ischemic heart disease and arrhythmias. Telemedicine might have an important role as part of a strategy for the delivery of effective health care for patients with cardiovascular disease. In this document the Working Group on Telecardiology and Informatics of the Italian Society of Cardiology intends to remark some key-points regarding potential benefit achievable with the implementation of telemedicine support in the continuum of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical & Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Italy. Electronic address: natale.brunetti@unifg.it.
authors.forename: Natale Daniele
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.affiliation: Cardiological and Telemedicine Dpt., IRCCS Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Lumezzane, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: simonetta.scalvini@fsm.it.
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scalvini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Clinico Cardiologico, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: flavio.acquistapace@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: Flavio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Acquistapace
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: gianfrancoparati@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parati
authors.affiliation: IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: maurizio.volterrani@sanraffaele.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volterrani
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, 'La Sapienza' University, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.fedele@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fedele
authors.affiliation: Telemedico s.r.l., Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: C1339@unige.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Molinari
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000379:methods*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D012955:Societies, Medical; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Position paper; Telecardiology; Telemedicine