A networked patient-based integrated care system as a basis for the achievement of quality in practice.

Traditionally, telematics initiatives have mainly been used to link patients with specific conditions to monitoring services located in acute hospitals. However, latest application of telematics to the networking of integrated electronic records for ambulatory or community care has great potential to measure and assure the quality of health care delivery to a large sector of the population in a structured and comprehensive way. This paper categorizes the major quality opportunities of a pioneering initiative now achieving operational status.