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Paris and Vienna, June 19, 2009 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and
NYSE: ALU), Orange Austria and Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreich [Workers
Samaritan Federation Austria] are piloting a joint e-Health solution designed
to provide better care to patients of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund by providing
a complete mobile solution for measuring blood sugar levels and blood
pressure.
Modern communication technologies offer enormous potential for the
advancement of healthcare and nursing. With the help of innovative
communication solutions it is possible to realize significant cost savings and
simplify the healthcare system. At the same time patient safety and comfort can
be increased as mobile solutions enable them to receive enhanced care.
To support this trend, Orange Austria and Alcatel-Lucent have equipped the
Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund with a complete mobile e-Health solution which is  already
available on the market. The Alcatel-Lucent TeleHealth Manager as a
tele-monitoring solution combines intelligent end devices as well as the
necessary infrastructure to provide remote monitoring and care. As this mobile
equipment is very easy to operate, it enables a defined target group of
patients to measure their own blood pressure or blood sugar level – wherever
they happen to be.
“For us as a provider of healthcare services, our number one priority is
people. I am therefore delighted that this solution will enable us to provide
optimum care to our patients at all times – wherever they happen to be”, said
Franz Schnabl, President of Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund.
The e-Health solution is based on the Alcatel-Lucent’s TeleHealth Manager
application. This product can be used to record a patient’s medical data and
automatically transfer it to a database via Bluetooth and GPRS. The data is
transferred securely in order to maintain the necessary high level of privacy
of the persons being treated.
“We are happy to participate in this trial with Alcatel-Lucent and
Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund in Austria. Modern communication technologies have
enormous potential in the healthcare sector and can ease the lives of the
patients, said Michael Krammer, CEO Orange Austria Telecommunications GmbH.
“Such initiatives are a benefit to all – healthcare services provider,
patients, nursing personnel, and doctors.”
As well as documenting the values, the solution also features an alarm
function. If the measured data are conspicuous the system notifies a defined
group of people, for example their relatives, care personnel or doctor by
sending an SMS or e-mail. If no measurement is taken in the specified period a
reminder SMS is sent to the patient or their relatives.
The solution has been commercially available in Canada since mid-2008 and is
shortly due to be marketed in Austria.
“Alcatel-Lucent improves healthcare delivery by interconnecting networks,
people, processes and knowledge to improve the quality of care, create more
time for patient care while meeting the operational efficiencies of today’s
health services providers. ” said Harald Himmer, Alcatel-Lucent’s Country
Senior Officer in Austria. “There is enormous interest in mobile communication
solutions in the healthcare industry. Our application is very user-friendly and
cost-effective and connects remote patients to their care providers in real
time, and that is where its key potential lies.”
Univ. Prof. Dr. Siegfried Meryn is highlighting the importance of periodic
measurement on the occasion of the presentation of this mobile medical diary:
“Diabetes and hypertension are diseases of our civilization. Up to now, more
than 1.3 million people in Austria suffer from high blood pressure. 390.000
persons are contracted with diabetes mellitus. Only through regular control of
their levels and by following medical indications, the patients’ lives with
these diseases can remain relatively free of symptoms.“
About Orange in Austria
Orange Austria Telecommunication GmbH started on 26 October 1998 under the ONE
brand as third mobile telephony operator in Austria. In 2008 the company
achieved a mobile communications revenue of 592 million euro. At the end of
2008 market share amounted to 20 percent. About 800 employees take care of the
needs and wishes of about 2 million customers daily. The distribution network
in Austria comprises approximately 90 Orange shops and about 1,700 distribution
outlets. Orange in Austria is owned by Mid Europa Partners (65 %) and Orange
(35 %). The 100% subsidiary YESSS! forms part of the Orange Austria Group.
Moreover, Orange has a 16.67 % stake in the paybox Austria GmbH and a 25.1 %
stake in the eety Telecommunications GmbH. Orange is the main brand of France
Telecom, one of the leading telecommunications companies worldwide. The Orange
brand is amongst the biggest mobile communications brands worldwide. Its brand
value amounts to 14 billion euro, and it is ranked 50th of the „Most
Powerful Brands 2008“by Millward Brown. For further details on Orange in
Austria, please refer to www.orange.at.
Orange Austria Press Contact:
Petra Jakob, Tel: +43/1/27728-3400, presse@orange.co.at
About Arbeitersamariterbund
Since its foundation 80 years ago the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund of Austria has
stuck to its highest commitment: Our NPO with its professional and voluntary
staff provides help for the aged, sick and injured - impartial towards their
ethnicity, religion or ideology.
Our sphere of activity has been enlarged enormously in these last years -
from basic ambulance transports to health care and social care services like
nursing, or supporting asylum seekers and homeless people.
In the international fields of development cooperation, disaster relief and
youth-work we Samaritans do community service day by day elsewhere and by the
hundreds.
The Samariterbund is backed by 150.000 members and supporters throughout
Austria. Completing the manifold tasks is the daily mission of our 5.000
volunteers and employees.
Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Österreich Press Contact :
Martina Vitek, Tel: + 43/1/891 45 227, martina.vitek@samariterbund.net
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