3 Tele-cooperation for innovative care using the example of the University Hospital Aachen. Telematics in intensive care medicine, emergency medicine, and telemedical intersectoral rehabilitation planning in geriatric trauma

The demographic challenge of the ageing society is associated with increasing comorbidity. On the other hand, there will be an ageing workforce in medicine, resulting in an imbalance between the demand and supply of medical care in the near future. In rural areas in particular, this imbalance is already present today. Based on three best practice projects carried out by our telemedical center in Aachen, including emergency medicine, intensive care medicine, and the rehabilitation planning of geriatric trauma care, some experience and the potential of the intersectoral provision of care, supported by telemedicine, are demonstrated. Telemedicine is the provision of medical services over a geographical distance by using tele-communication and data transfer. It has been proven to ensure a constant quality of health care. Telemedical support enables shared expertise independent of time and space, and allows efficient allocation of resources. A review of international experience supports this notion.