Telemedicine services: from idea to implementation

In Europe, musculoskeletal disorders constitute a major problem in terms of self-reported symptoms.1 In the Netherlands, the prevalence of self-reported neck and shoulder pain in the workplace is 23%, which is similar to the mean European prevalence.2 These complaints are associated with enormous costs and individual suffering. For the Netherlands, the total costs of upper extremity disorders are estimated to be Euro 2.1 billion per year.3 Also, pain complaints unrelated to work are a major problem in industrialized countries and the number of people with these complaints is growing rapidly. Nineteen percent of Europeans experience chronic pain complaints, which is about 75 million people in total. Thirteen percent experience pain with a moderate intensity and 6% pain with a severe intensity.4