Workshop
on Regional Health Information Networks
Thessaloniki,
December 9-10, 1999
The New Asclepieions*
(A
World-wide Movement To Provide New
‘Health
and Culture Parks’ for the New Millennium)
Dimitrios
Sotiriou
Associate
Professor of Medical Physics
University
of Athens
President
of the Association of
‘Friends
of the Asclepieion Park of Athens’
Ken
Boddy, MD
Senior
Lecturer of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
University
of Edinburgh
December
1999
* The text is an abridged version of the original text included in the Financial Times Report 'Telemedicine and Telecare for the New Information Age', published by Financial Times Pharmaceuticals, in November 1999 - Authors Boddy K., Karp P and Sotiriou D.
Please note that the words NEW and MODERN are used interchangeably in the relevant documents, for the time being.
Table
of Contents
The
Asclepieions, Ancient and New
1.
The Ancient Beliefs and The Asclepieions
1.2
The Ancient Asclepieion’s Health and Culture Movement
2.1
Today’s Societal Structures and the Awakening of New Asclepieions
2.2
The Total Environment and the New Asclepieions
3.
New Asclepieions Parks and The New Scientific and Technological Innovations
The
New Asclepieion Park of the City of Athens
5.2.
Setting the Scene with Initial R&D Studies:
The
Asclepieion Park of Athens as a Digital Site
The
‘Asclepieion Park of Athens’ on the Internet WWW
To
be Healthy has always been regarded as being of the greatest importance and
advantage when considering the quality of life. The ancient societies understood
this and they placed great emphasis on achieving and maintaining
‘physical fitness’ as well as on promoting the ‘general well
being’ of the whole person. They
provided philosophies that viewed man in his ‘wholeness’ and their concepts
and notions were often given weight by being surrounded in the myths and the
legends of the time. Stories of ‘great physical feats’ and ‘worthy
champions’ were provided to give ‘examples’ and ‘role models’ for the
population to respect and to emulate. Healthcare itself however remained
relatively primitive until the recent era of scientific discovery.
Before
the philosophical enlightenment’s that occurred with Christianity and with the
current evolutionary science, mankind also sought answers to life’s enigmas
through the creation of ‘the pleuristic gods’ or through the Old Testament
writings of the ‘One God’. They ascribed to these deities the ‘power’
and the ‘will’ to provide for human needs and to cause or to alleviate their
sufferings. In this context the ‘faithful’ were encouraged to be
‘worshippers’ whilst their ‘god’ became their champion and their mentor
who required ‘allegiance’ by providing a set of rules or actions for the
faithful to follow.
The
modern world’s ethos is not too dissimilar to these two ancient approaches
although the philosophies concerning the origins of disease and the means
whereby to satisfy man’s needs have changed. Scientific medicine has explained
many ‘causes’ and provided many ‘cures’ whilst human institutions have
taken up the roles of ‘authority’ and ‘persuaders’. International
bodies, National, Regional and Local Governments,
(with their Members of Parliaments, City Councillors and Mayors), as well
as the Health and Education Authorities are now the one’s who provide for the
well being of those who elected or appointed them.
Their policies determine the shape and the quality of all our lives. Laws
are passed to safeguard our health and the environment. Healthcare and social
systems are established to deliver services. The individual is ‘encouraged’
to take up health maintenance, life-long learning and socio-cultural pursuits
whilst sports and other personalities still provide ‘examples’ and ‘role
models’.
In
the 5th century BC the ancients of the Greek world created a
‘myth’ that declared allegiance to the god Asclepios and through him they began a new ‘health and culture
movement’, which provided an holistic view of man in the context of his total
environment. These ancients made Asclepios
their ‘champion’ and described him as the offspring of the god Apollo
and the mortal Koronis. This was a
combination that provided the necessary ‘divine power’ for healing and the
‘human empathy’ that was appropriate to their time and to their view of man
and his ‘health’ including his ‘frailties’, ‘illnesses’ and
‘death’. They also elevated Asclepios
to the status of a full deity (in spite of his part human parentage) and the
myth depicts him as rising from the inferno to be a true ‘healing god’ for
all mankind.
The
Asclepieion movement reached its
height in the 4th century BC and never lost its human appeal until
the end of the ancient world and the rise of Christianity in the 1st.
and the 2nd. centuries AD. Practically no Greek city was without its
own Asclepios temple and ‘the faithful’ built their ‘worshipping’ and
‘healing’ centres as well as their ‘sanctuaries’ throughout the ancient
world. The most renowned of these were at Trikki, Epidaure, Titani, Athens, Kos
island, Lissos, Levin and Kyrene. The
temples of Asclepios were located in
‘parklands’ or ‘groves’ so that a clean and tranquil environment could
be ensured for those pursuing their health needs. These Asclepieion centres,
provided the ‘healthcare sites’ of their day, where ‘cures’ were
achieved in two ways:
a)
by psychologically strengthening the patient and his faith in the healing
capabilities of Asclepios (reassurance,
relaxation, suggestion, miracle), and
b)
by application of the then known pharmaceutical treatments and the
pursuit of a healthy way of living (herbal remedies, exercise, diet and other
holistic treatments).
Usually
both of these methods were practised in a combined form to be mutually
complementary. The miraculous epiphany (appearance) of Asclepios
was another way of achieving healing and this took place during the patients'
sleep, inside the "sacra-sanctum" space of the temple. This latter
form of healing much resembles the New use of ‘hypnosis’ and ‘faith
healing’.
The
faithful ‘worshipped’ in the temples of Asclepios
and in other surrounding ‘sacred premises’. These included certain buildings
used for medical assistance and for specific treatments, similar to the
‘infirmaries’ of today. Specially constructed ‘hospitality’ or ‘guest
houses’ were also provided for the use and the sanctuary of itinerant
pilgrims. There are still similar ‘monastic houses’ used for
respite in Greece and other countries today.
Apart
from the healing ministries, other elements of ‘worship’ (appreciation) and
‘cultural pursuits’ were included in the overall system that was developed
to care for man’s health. These included the ‘holy’ water for ritual
cleanings as well as for bodily bathing. There were also athletic contests as
well as musical and theatrical performances, which were held in honour of Asclepios
and were staged in stadiums and in theatres respectively. In this way the
benefits of athleticism and the performing arts were brought to bear on the well
being of the participants.
Trust
or ‘faith’ in this overall system of ‘healthcare’ and ‘wellness’ was
generated by repeated narration about the ‘miracles’ that had been performed
by Asclepios. Evidences and reminders of these ‘benefits’, (and the
expressions of the gratitude of those who were ‘healed’), have been found as
‘inscribed art’ on the walls of the sacred buildings. They have also been
found in the form of ‘man-made offerings’, which often depicted the part of
the body that had been healed. These ‘offerings’ were mostly sculptured or
were made in some other material art form and were then used to decorate the Asclepieion
parks or groves. Art in its many forms was part of the ethos that was used
to promote health.
The
‘worship’ of Asclepios was the
last of the ‘old-world systems’ to regress following the prevalence of
Christianity which brought about the replacement of ‘the many gods’ in
favour of the ‘One God’. The ‘promise’ of the new Christian philosophy
provided something better for mankind in terms of ‘a new socio-political
order’ and ‘a new and better future’ in which there would be a permanent
release from his sufferings,
“Then
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had
passed away and the sea was no more….
…he
will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither
shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have
passed away” [2]
Thus,
the era of the Asclepieions was overtaken by a new philosophy that offered more
help than they could, namely a new world and an end to sorrow, pain and death.
Palaeo-christian basilicas gradually replaced the sacred buildings that were
built in the name of Asclepios and these new ‘temples’ provided a different
environment in which the faithful could worship whilst the ‘one God’ could
provide for their ‘healing’.
The
creators of the myth of Asclepios were
far in advance of their time. They had demonstrated an approach to health and
well being, which included a means of healthcare delivery that had overcome the
human factors concerned with acceptance. Their overall system provided for an
holistic view of man in his natural environment and in his socio-cultural world
and their philosophy had many similarities with the Christian approach to
man’s needs but could not offer the same promise of complete relief from the
‘curse’ of suffering and death. Their organisational and structural systems
for healthcare delivery were however remarkable and they can provide today’s
world with many lessons as ‘a model’ to follow.
The
ancient Asclepieions made use of the
entire ‘up-to-date’ medical knowledge and the ‘tried and tested’ healing
methods that were available at the time, just as we would. They also combined
this ‘science’ with all the elements of an holistic approach and in this way
they utilised ‘de-facto’ the elements of ‘trust building’, ‘social
interaction’ and ‘outdoor activities’ as well as ‘health maintenance’,
‘education’ and ‘appreciation’ (worship), to achieve their goals.
In
the scientific world of today, the focus of healthcare delivery has shifted from
the ancients’ emphasis on ‘health’ to the New preoccupation with
‘sickness’. Our cities and institutions reflect this change in their design
and in their organisation of services.
There
are now separate establishments to support ‘medical services’,
‘education’ and ‘socio-cultural’ pursuits. There is even a separation in
the sites and in the organisational systems that are directly involved in the
delivery of ‘healthcare’ itself, e.g. the primary and secondary care
installations such as hospitals and local community healthcare centres and this
extends to social care and to counselling agencies. These arrangements and their
established systems have created both ‘structural’ and ‘conceptual’
boundaries that serve to separate the components of our healthcare systems as
well as to cut them off from their traditional links with the natural
environment including the related socio-cultural and educational worlds. They
provide an isolationist and competitive ethos rather than a synergistic
environment in which to deliver services.
Today,
there are no suitable societal structures (let alone establishments), which
could cover the overall needs that are related to an holistic view of man and
his well-being. There is therefore a less emphasis on the quality of life and a
greater concern with the quantity (or rationing) of the services that should be
delivered. There is also a dependency on centralised hierarchies and economic
models as the driving forces. The general well being, trust and empowerment of
those seeking information and knowledge concerning their health and their health
maintenance has been overlooked and there is currently a divisive force between
the information rich and the information poor.
These
modern societal structures and concepts are not in line with the principles
promoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) where ‘health’ is described
as “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”. The WHO
philosophical approach is much more closely aligned to that of those who created
the myth of Asclepios and to that of
the believers in the ‘pre-scientific’ Christian era. It is now however
becoming evident again, that there is a necessity for the balanced development
and the essential well being of every individual in society and it is
increasingly being recognised that modern lifestyles need the re-awakening of
New Asclepieions.
Most
cities today have some open green spaces, where the concepts of an asclepieion
park could also be established. Citizens of all ages could then enjoy an
agreeable and inviting environment where the natural world, health and
socio-cultural activities could be brought together. This approach would have a
considerable positive impact on the health and well being of all our cities and
on all city residents. The new developments taking place in the growth of the
information society are now making it possible to achieve such ‘cross
sector’ activities and the cities of the future will need to provide both the
environment and the services, which are directed toward an holistic view of
needs.
The
New Asclepieion Movement has the ambition to provide such facilities and to
contribute decisively to the search for immediate and effective integrated
solutions to the complex and perplexing lifestyle stresses and the
organisational problems that are faced by modern societies. Economic forces are
part of this endeavour and the business and industrial sectors will need to come
together with the other ‘stakeholders’ to create the new ‘health
movement’ of the future.
In
ancient time’s healthcare was always associated with both the physical and the
emotional well being of man as well as his social and educational environments.
Today, the advent of medical science and the new medical technologies has led to
an emphasis on ‘centralised services’ and on ‘physical and biochemical
illness’, which promote a dependency on ‘pharmaceutical and operative
cures’ that are based on ‘proven’ knowledge and on ‘specialised’
expertise. There has been a rejection of ‘nature’s healing power’, and of
‘human empathy’ both of which can not readily be quantified or
scientifically evaluated. There has also been a turning away from dealing with
‘the whole man’ in the totality of his environmental, spiritual and
socio-cultural contexts.
The
nature of man has not however changed and the ancients recognised that an
agreeable and healthy environment influences health and wellbeing through its
affects on the physical as well as the mental and emotional state of
individuals. Man needs a contact with the natural world even if its just his own
garden, his household plants or a companion pet and many of the ancient ways to
maintain a healthy lifestyle are now becoming more and more regarded as being
beneficial to his well being. Man is also a ‘worshipping’ creature whether
he places his trust in his ‘carers’ or in ‘the fates’ or ‘the gods’,
or in the one God, or in evolutionary science, or market forces or job-career
prospects. Modern lifestyles place 'stresses' on every aspect of bodily and
mental functions and the ‘health promoting guidelines’ laid down by the
ancient Asclepieions have much to say to our present and future generations.
Despite
the good progress that has been made in the modern world, in having food,
shelter and sanitation as well as employment and entertainment, there are still
large populations and segments of populations that live in very difficult
circumstances. It is also not unusual to find environmental and social factors
that adversely affect everyone, even those who live in developed societies,
which are technologically advanced and affluent. “Time and chance happen to
all men”[3] and ‘disadvantage’
occurs in every society so that the totalities, which influence the quality of
life, concern us all.
The
ancient Greeks had the saying 'Íïõò
õãéÞò åí óþìáôé õãéÞ', meaning “A Sane Mind in a Sane Body”
(in Latin, ‘Animus Sani in Corpus Sani’). Despite the WHO definition of
Health, this wisdom of maintaining bodily and mental ‘fitness’ (wellness),
has been lost in the way that societies have now become organised and in the way
that our cities have been structured. There is a current neglect of the
environmental promoters of well being and the integrated services that can
provide high quality health and wellness programmes as well as the enjoyment of
the arts, entertainment and creative pursuits. The barriers of separation that
have grown up between the different societal organisations and systems involved
are now a major cause for concern.
Health
maintenance (wellness) is a focus that can only be pursued in such a multiple
and yet integrated service context. It requires to be addressed as part of the
total elements that impinge on man’s welfare and therefore as part of the
overall facilities provided for all. It is significant that the ancients
regarded our well being to be related to the activities of the sports, leisure
and entertainment industries. The activities concerned are now well known to be
good promoters of health and to be beneficial to maintaining both our bodily as
well as our mental fitness. In this context it is not only the activities, which
are important. The buildings that are used for these purposes and the access to
them are part of the city’s environment and the concept of ‘beauty’ in
both art and architecture and in the design of facilities are all important to
our wellbeing. Such factors include the provision of pedestrian areas and
walkways and of transport systems that reduce traffic density and air pollution.
The
wisdom of the ancients has suggested ‘a model’ whereby an agreeable and
healthy environment, which best promotes bodily health and mental fitness, can
be provided by combining the benefits of the natural world with the riches of
well planned socio-cultural and health related facilities. In today’s world,
this model of the ‘Asclepieion Parks’ could be used to provide the enjoyment
of the natural environment and the architectural design of our cities. They
could also combine these health promoters with the facilities to provide the
high quality and effective services that keep us healthy and that treat our
disorders as well as engendering our ‘trust’ by being tailored to the
wholeness of man and by being brought within the reach of everyone. Apart from
health benefits these environmental features and holistic services play a vital
role in developing our life’s quality. They also span the elements of city
planning, education (information and knowledge) and appreciation (worship), all
of which have an important part to play in the balanced development of the
healthy society.
New
Asclepieions would re-structure the green-areas of our cities so that they act
as ‘meeting places’, which are accessible to everyone and that combine all
the facilities to provide for our health and welfare. In this way all
individuals could be exposed to an holistic approach to the quality of their
life and at the same time they could have access to integrated services that are
without the structural and conceptual boundaries imposed by current societal
systems. The new information and communications technologies (ICT’s), make
this possible and can support the provision of such services in the home for
those with mobility problems but ‘outside the home’ interaction should be
encouraged to obtain the maximum ‘wellness’ benefit. Facilities for
children, families, the elderly and the disabled are therefore needed.
The
concept of New Asclepieion Parks is to design, as part of city planning, large
enough green-areas where the natural world can be related to health and culture.
These areas need to provide attractive facilities for all city residents and
visitors so that they may have the opportunity to engage in ‘activities’,
which will promote health maintenance, life-long learning, social interaction
and cultural pursuits. In today’s world, such services can be most effectively
supported by the new scientific and technological innovations of the developing
information society. Suitable infrastructures will need to be built for the
effective and efficient exploitation of the opportunities offered by these new
technologies.
The
developments in the telematic technologies i.e. the combination of information
and communication technologies (ICT’s), are expected to provide new powerful
products, processes and services for the solution of existing complex and
chronic societal problems. As a result they will also facilitate the
introduction of innovations in all the activities related to Environment, Health
and Culture.
A
number of cities in technologically advanced countries, have already developed
ICT applications and services in several key areas. Many of them are focusing on
information provision and education. Health and Arts appear as two sectors that
will attract considerable interest in the next few years. The majority of the
cities of the world have not however been decisively engaged in providing a
digital environment for the new information era. The new millennium will see a
generation of young people who will expect to use the new information and
communications technologies as part of their normal everyday lives. Every effort
therefore should be made to ensure the maximum benefit from integrated services
that can improve the quality of life for all.
The
expected results of such activities will have a very positive impact towards the
materialisation of the vision of the developing Information Society, including
the equity of access to high quality services, the participation of all
residents to desired activities and the satisfactory provision of information
and knowledge.
The
planned use of the new information and communications technologies (ICT’s) can
make all this possible and their implementation could translate the myth of Asclepios
into a modern reality for all, irrespective of location and disadvantage.
The
notion of starting a ‘New Asclepieion Movement’ was conceived in 1994 by
Associate Professor Dimitrios Sotiriou of the School of Medicine of the
University of Athens and by Thodoros Papadimitriou, sculptor and Professor of
the Technical University of Athens.
The
realisation of a first New Asclepieion Park was put forward as an endeavour for
the city of Athens and an association under the name ‘Friends of the
Asclepieion Park of Athens’ was created on June 21, 1994. The approach of the
new millennium has stimulated a continued and growing interest in their work.
One
of the goals of the Association is to promote and support R&D activities on
Health and Culture and to seek collaboration with public and private
organisations. The Association's current activities are aimed at:
·
defining
a long-term programme concerning ‘New Asclepieions’ and a medium-term
programme concerning the ‘Asclepieion Park of Athens’
·
finalising
conceptual designs and planning
·
promoting
information dissemination and public awareness
·
co-operating
with public and private authorities and institutions towards implementation
The
strategy for the development of ‘The Athens New Asclepieion Park’ revolves
around two main themes:
1.
The first theme concerns medical services and aims at a gradual
transition from the currently offered services at the existing and
administratively independent medical installations towards a technologically
advanced and co-operating service with additional ecological and cultural
orientations
2.
The second theme concerns the creation of new installations. These will
be governed by the specifications emerging from research and development
initiatives and the piloting of application conducted at the current site chosen
for the Asclepieion Park of Athens (or from the results of these activities
conducted at another site in the major Athens area).
The overall specifications of the Athens Asclepieion Park will also be
created from the results of current and future R&D activities
To
what extend a New Asclepieion Park could affect urban planning procedures is
left to the initiatives of the local communities that wish to participate to
this novel and far reaching programme. The objective of central planning however
will be embedded in the procedures for informing authorities and non-government
organisations as well as the methodologies for planning, implementation and
operation.
The
Association, ‘Friends of the Asclepieion Park of Athens’, has created a
database of relevant data and information, which is intended to facilitate the
entire programme. The association is the ‘trustee’ of the initiatives of
these endeavours and their outcomes. The members offer technical and R&D
assistance to all interested parties.
The
following R&D work sets out the initial steps that were taken to evaluate
the possibilities and to make progress with the overall strategy.
New
Asclepieion Parks are areas in which the relevant activities, applications and
services are based on the ideals and the values of the Ancient Asclepieions.
They represent modern realisations of the ancient model with the prospect on the
one hand to cover the current needs of city residents in relation to health,
environment and culture and on the other hand to create new prototypes and
installations suitable to serve the present and the future generations.
Several issues relating to New Asclepieion Parks are innovative in city
planning, environmental improvement and healthcare delivery, others are
concerned with new services and business opportunities, others represent new
approaches that will hopefully lead to new solutions for integrated cross-sector
activities that can benefit all. There exists therefore a vast array of issues
and topics suitable for state of the art research and development initiatives.
The
strategy to be followed required an initial research and development phase. One
of the main pillars of this was to establish an interdisciplinary approach for
problem solution. A second one was the need to establish a spectrum of possible
'core activities’. These efforts were indispensable in order to preserve the
original concepts, the harmonisation of the proposed approaches and the designs
of the basic ethical, deontological and aesthetic principles as well as the
conformance of the implementation mechanisms and the services to the same basic
principles. Specific areas that were considered and in which it was felt that
activities needed to be developed, were those of health maintenance, medicine,
athleticism, culture, sociology, environment and education. The search for
solutions, with the assistance of modern scientific and technological
achievements and with the participation of the business and industrial
communities, will constitute the fundamental characteristic of the research and
the development strategy to be shaped.
The
Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology, (based on a proposal by
the ‘Friends of the Asclepieion Park of Athens’), commissioned a 5 member
research group of scientists to undertake a study entitled ‘Design of A
Digital Site for Healthcare: The Asclepieion Park of Athens’. The mandate was
to describe the content of a project with emphasis on the economic and research
aspects. It also included the description of a Technical Annex of the project
and the supporting documentation for submission to the Management Committee of
the 2nd Community Support Framework (the joint European Union-Greek
Programme of R&T Development for the years 1997-1999) for inclusion in the
relevant activities.
The
Group proposed activities, which were related to the exploitation of modern
telematic technologies for applications and services in the domains of
telemedicine; tele-education; tele-working; environmental management; management
of energy needs; management of traffic around and inside the Asclepieion Park;
provision of welfare services; support of cultural activities and athleticism. The
study was completed in May 1998 and was approved by the Management Committee.
The GSRT has agreed to procure, as soon as possible, the infrastructures
mentioned as necessary for the services identified by the project.
The results concluded that inside
the Asclepieion Park of Athens it will be possible to offer a complete range of
quality services in healthcare and welfare. These services will include:
·
information
on health issues for all ages with emphasis on children
·
promotion
of health
·
preventive
healthcare and screening
·
patient
education
·
medical
services irrespective of the gravity of symptoms
·
support
to other healthcare units of the same or inferior level
·
graduate
medical education
·
continuous
medical education
·
scientific
and technological research
The
achievement of these goals necessitates modern infrastructures that exist only
to a limited extend in Greece today. They will also necessitate a possible
reorganisation of the existing healthcare units, the consensus on and
implementation of new procedures and the introduction of new management
techniques.
The
program for development of the Asclepieion Park of Athens as well as the
promotion of the concept of New Asclepieions in general, already exploits the
possibilities offered by the Internet, World Wide Web.
The
design of the current Asclepieion Web Pages (http://asclepieion.mpl.uoa.gr),
places emphasis on the opportunities for active participation at national as
well as international level. A positive response to the concepts of the New
Asclepieions, including deposition of proposals and ideas and alternative
approaches will be a proof of the effectiveness of the Web Site.
The
Web pages aim to become a repository of all the activities related to the
promotion of the research work undertaken or to be undertaken in the context of
New Asclepieions. In addition the ease of accumulation of new proposals and
ideas originating from scientists linked to the WWW, is expected to strengthen
the Site, so as to become a “reference repository” and “a starting
point” for all future activities.
The
original design and the continuation of the first stages started in the last
trimester of 1997, at the School of Medicine of the University of Athens.
A
collection of photographs, slides and maps concerning the Asclepieion Park of
Athens has been maintained at the Internet site of the School of Medicine of the
University of Athens since late 1997. The collection presents the current
situation inside and around the Asclepieion Park and brings to the surface
problems requiring immediate engagement and solutions in line with its
character.
[1]
D. Sotiriou et al. ‘The Asclepieion Park of Athens’, A study commissioned by
the Organisation for Planning and Environmental Protection of Athens (ORSA), of
the Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical Planning & Public Works,
Athens, 1988
The
Project was carried out by a Research Team composed of scientist from the
University of Athens, the National Technical University and the National School
of Public Health, under the responsibility of the School of Medicine of the
University of Athens. The complete text of the study (in Greek) can be found in
the Web Pages of the Medical Physics Laboratory, at http://asclepieion.mpl.uoa.gr/Parko/.
Scientific
Co-ordinator of the Project was Assoc. Prof. Dimitrios Sotiriou. The Project was
completed in May 1998
[2]
D. Sotiriou et al., ‘Design of A Digital Site for Healthcare: The Asclepieion
Park of Athens’, A study commissioned by the Greek General Secretariat of
Research and Technology, Athens, 1998. The report was produced by a team of
scientists form the University of Athens and the GSRT. The complete text of the
study (in Greek) can be found in the Web Pages of the Medical Physics
Laboratory, at http://asclepieion.mpl.uoa.gr/Parko/.
Editor and chief scientist was Assoc. Prof. Dimitrios Sotiriou
[3]
Project ASPASIA. On going study to propose a Telematic network and services of
health and culture which can be offered in a New Asclepieion.
The
project will be completed in summer 2000.
[1]The text is an abridged version of the original text
included in the Financial Times Report 'Telemedicine and Telecare for the
New Information Age', published by Financial Times Pharmaceuticals, in
November 1999 -
Authors Boddy K., Karp P and
Sotiriou D. More information can be found in the electronic pages at http://asclepieion.mpl.uoa.gr
[2] Quoted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible; The Revelation to John chapter 21 verses one to four.
[3] Ecclesiastes Chapter 9, verse 11