Airedale Hospital has hosted a fact-finding visit by teams from three European countries.

The trip was part of a 2.7 million euro project called Richard which is funded by the European Commission.

The initiative, which runs until August 2013, involves four regions – Tuscany in Italy, Vasterbotten in Sweden, Lodz in Poland and Yorkshire, including Airedale NHS Foundation Trust.

It aims to provide opportunities for all the regions to use technology to manage chronic health conditions more effectively.

A spokesman for the hospital said: “We were able to demonstrate the work we have done to use telemedicine to support people with long-term conditions in their own homes or in nursing homes, as well as our telemedicine work with more than 20 UK prisons.

“The visit was also a chance for each project to update the other regional teams on their work.

“For example, Tuscany in Italy is using telemedicine kiosks within health centres based in shopping centres, to offer people consultations for stroke rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

He added: “The teams were keen to understand how Sweden had successfully increased the number of patients they have using telemedicine.

“Sweden has adopted a project which involves having diagnostic equipment in a bag which can be put in GP surgeries and care homes to help patients manage their own conditions.”