The need to ensure that the globalization of information and telematics does not destabilize health-care worldwide

Modern telecommunication transcends institutional, organizational and cultural boundaries. In the context of health-care, this means that information, enquiries, demands and service provision can be routed anywhere, free of institutional or national control. The Internet makes information available to anyone regardless of its quality, source or intention. Organizationally initiated applications such as telemedicine are usually intended to reinforce local systems, but their very design and intention indicate a potential rapidly to transcend inherited but electronically ineffectual boundaries. The consequences of such uncontrolled globalization of health-care activities will range from beneficial empowerment and quality improvement, to detrimental effects such as overloading of experts, and undermining of stable health-care systems. The major unplanned societal re-engineering effects in a paper-based culture are likely to be significant and global institutions need to respond by creating positive global frameworks and policies.