German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the Importance of Telemedicine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on telemedicine in the televised debate with Peer Steinbrück on September 1, 2013. You can watch the debate on YouTube here, opens in a new tab (in German):

As early as 2010, Angela Merkel — Chancellor then and now — emphasized the extraordinary importance of telemedicine for improving healthcare. Three years ago, during her visit to the Medica medical trade fair, she compared “the export-oriented German medical technology sector with the role of the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry,” and here she added that “modern health management is inseparably linked to communication and information technology.” More recent studies, such as the VDE study “Pro TeleMonitoring Technik | Nutzen | Erstattung” (October 2012, www.vde.de), now also provide evidence of the medical and health-economic benefits of telemedicine based on numerous innovative projects. The great potential — not only for patients but also for medical providers and payers — is now undisputed. Savings of 10%–50% in treatment costs are expected, along with an increase in patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. It is therefore not surprising that telemedicine also played a role in the 2013 chancellor debate between Angela Merkel and Peer Steinbrück. Ms. Merkel said: “We aspire to ensure that every person receives the healthcare they need, and this is, by and large, … , guaranteed in Germany.” … “I believe that, overall, we can be proud of our healthcare system, … , and yet we have problems, for example with medical care in rural areas. That is why we passed a law that improves the supply of physicians in rural areas. We will have to pay very close attention to ensuring that telemedicine develops well.”
(Angela Merkel at the opening of Medica. Image: Detlef Borchers / Source: Nov 18, 2010, 9:50 a.m., Medica: Merkel betont Rolle der Medizintechnik, http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Medica-Merkel-betont-Rolle-der-Medizintechnik-1138295.html)