THE TELEMEDICINE AND ICT AS TOOL TO IMPROVE THE LOCAL HEALTHCARE

The recent worldwide experience related to the health emergency of the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted a renewed interest in telemedicine. This health care system assisted by technological innovation including, for example, ICT (Information Communication Technology) and support by smartphones and tablets allows treating patients directly at home, avoiding contacts with health professionals. Moreover, telemedicine offers the possibility of reorganizing healthcare, moving the focus of care activities from the hospital to the territory and a series of economic, social and environmental advantages. The introduction of ICT and telemedicine can be a valuable tool in support of the management of endocrine diseases such as diabetes which represents one of the main chronic diseases common spread in Italy. Diabetes treatment is certainly one of the fields in which telemedicine and eHealth have been principally tested. In this context, the present work intends to give an overview of the new opportunities offered by telemedicine and various medical devices used to the care and assistance of patients among those suffering from diabetes. In particular, some information is presented on the spread of this pathology in the province of Foggia and on the estimates of the costs incurred by the local health system. Possible applications of telemedicine could be implemented to improve the treatment and control of this pathology in this territory.