Transeuropean network for the provision of added-VAlue Services in Telemedicine--(VAST-Net).

Populations most likely to use telemedicine are usually located far away from ISDN networks in contrast to providers of telemedical services who normally dwell in urban centers. VAST-Net is a consortium that aspires to reach such populations by introducing added-value ISDN-based telemedical services across Europe, through networking a small number of selected, strategically distributed, points-of-care and by focusing on a series of well defined health care provision scenaria. This will be achieved by relying on: (1) the Euro-ISDN infrastructure, (2) satellite based ISDN medical networks (e.g. the INMARSAT/VSAT based MERMAID network), (3) private ISDN networks. The VAST-Net telemedical network will be initially operated on a small but transnational scale in order to assess: (1) the acceptance of telemedical services by end users, (2) the economic viability of the telemedical sector, especially in an international context (3) the legal implications of telemedical practice (4) the regulatory framework within which telemedicine will be developed in the E.U. Based on this assessment the VAST-Net Consortium will proceed to develop appropriate business plans that will allow PTTs and other Telecom operators, medical groups, insurance companies and public health authorities to offer transnationally ISDN-based telemedical services. Potential forms of cooperation may include: (1) "Framework agreements" between PTTs, telemedical service providers (e.g. doctors, hospitals etc.) and "bulk users" (insurance companies, public health authorities), (2) PTT provision of "telecommunications backbones" over which competing telemedical networks can be organised, (3) organisation of a European Economic Interest Group (EEIG), modeled upon international companies such as INMARSAT, that will undertake the operation of VAST-Net.