Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

746. To ask the Minister for Health how health delivery will be improved for communities outside the major population centres by the introduction of his e-health strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29509/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Whilst the recently published digital health strategy 'Digital for Care: A Digital Health Framework for Ireland 2024-2030', was not intended to differentiate between those people who live in communities outside the major population centres and those who live in the cities, there are nonetheless important components within it that will be significantly beneficial for people who live further from the larger cities.

The strategy describes the need to leverage digital to empower patients, to provide them more access to their own digital health records, to deliver electronic health records and find ways to join up all data about every patient, regardless of where or when they have been treated, so that we can create a comprehensive digital health record for every person.

This is of particular relevance to patients who live far from the main cities where the majority of tertiary and specialist hospitals are located hospitals, but must nonetheless be accessible to people coming from all over the country, in order to receive particular care and treatment required. Under these circumstances, it is likely that someone who does not live in one of the larger cities and does not therefore have access to a large hospital nearby, might have their health records spread across multiple entities/ healthcare sites, in the community and in acute hospitals, so when treatment is needed, the task of collating patient medical history and records is especially challenging. With digital health solution in place, firstly, more patient data will be recorded digitally, and secondly, it will become possible for that data to be collated quickly and made available to the treating clinician, whenever and wherever they are providing care and treatment.

Furthermore, in terms of patient empowerment, patients will have access to their own digital health information so can share that with the healthcare professional they are dealing with, whenever and wherever that may be.

There are other examples we could describe of course, with telehealth and telemonitoring being obvious examples, where physical distance from healthcare services is a challenges. For instance, two Acute Virtual Wards have recently been established in UL Hospital, Limerick and St Vincent's Dublin. These allow people to go home from hospital earlier, if the only reason they remain in hospital is for basic monitoring, rather than active care and treatment. One might argue this is even more beneficial for patients who live further from the cities, further from their home and family.

There are also telehealth projects connecting a number of islands on the western seaboard and there are numerous other initiatives supporting patients with COPD and other chronic diseases, helping them to self manage their conditions, and avoid long trips to tertiary hospitals that are located far away. The pandemic also introduced the option for patients to have a virtual outpatient appointment, where clinically appropriate. There are too many example of older people having to drive long distances, park their cars, and wait in outpatient clinicals, all for just a 10 minute consult that does not require a physical examination. The strategy supports all initiatives of this type, but with patient choice and safety remaining paramount.

The digital health strategic framework is based on extensive stakeholder engagement and framed around six simple principles. It will be followed by a HSE Digital Health Implementation Roadmap that will be published very soon.

A copy of the Departments digital health strategic framework can be found here;

www.gov.ie/en/press-release/3ad02-minister-for-health-publishes-digital-for-care-a-digital-health-framework-for-ireland-2024-2030/