From the left: Professor Tor J. Eide, Norwegian National Hospital, Oslo, Director of
Aust-Agder Central Hospital, Bjørn Engum, Dr Ivar Nordrum, University Hospital, Tromsø,
Senior Consultant Eivind Rinde and Research Director Birger Nymo, both Telenor R&D.

The 1999 Telenor Research Award has been given to the Telepathology Group within the telemedicine project in Tromsø. The group gets the prize for its contributions to develop and promote telepathology as a methode within telemedicine. The award money of NOK 250,000 is Friday handed over in Langesund, at the the annual gathering for the Norwegian electronics and computer trades.

The Jury's grounds for selection:
The Telepathology Group har succeeded in transforming applied research to practical results within an area that will be of great importance, both from a welfare and an economic point of view. The Group started its work in Tromsø in 1989 and was pioneers in establishing a completely new research area. Since then, they have won considerable international recognition for their contributions.

Tor J. Eide obtained his Honours degree in medicine in Göttingen, Germany (1971) and is at present senior medical officer/prof. MD in the Department of Pathology at the Norwegian National Hospital.

Tor J. Eide has held a number of positions within pathology in Bergen and Tromsø. He has worked as senior medical officer at the Pathology-Anatomy Department of Tromsø Regional Hospital (1987–1994) and professor of pathology at the University of Tromsø (1988–1994). Tor J. Eide obtained his MD in Tromsø with the thesis "The development of colorectal cancer with particular attention to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence" (1984). He is also Honorary Professor at the Department of Pathology at Auckland University, New Zealand (1990).

About 100 of Tor J. Eide’s scientific papers have been published, among them 10-15 on telemedicine. He has been in charge of several congresses and conferences on telemedicine, and in 1995 he received the American award "Pioneer of Innovation in Technology and Medicine" from The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and American Registry of Pathology (Washington D.C.).

Ivar Nordrum obtained his MB from the University of Tromsø (1981) and specialised in pathology (1990). Since 1987 Ivar Nordrum has been senior medical officer at the Pathology-Anatomy department at Tromsø Regional Hospital. Besides his interest in and research into forensic medicine, he has been working on the development and use of solutions within telepathology since 1989. At present, Ivar Nordrum is the professional in charge of the PatNet project (The Norwegian Pathology Network) which aims at connecting everybody working in the pathology environment in the country in a dynamic intranet.

Ivar Nordrum is author and co-author of some 35 published papers – half of them on telemedicine and telepathology. He has held a number of lectures on telepathology at home and abroad.

Bjørn Engum obtained his MSc from the University of Tromsø (1977) – his dissertation being on the application of computer science methods in the health service. He also holds a Masters degree in Health Administration from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oslo (1998).

Bjørn Engum is at present medical superintendent at Aust-Agder Central Hospital. From 1991 until spring 1999 he was managing director at KITH – Information Technology for improved Healthcare (http://www.kith.no). KITH is the national professional environment for IT and ICT (Information and Communication Technology), founded and owned by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities and the county municipality of Sør-Trøndelag. The KITH centre is situated in Trondheim. Bjørn Engum has participated in a number of national and international development projects. For several years he has been the Norwegian representative and has headed the European standardisation work within the area of information technology in medicine.

From 1988 to 1991 Bjørn Engum was researcher and manager of Norwegian Telecom’s research activities in telemedicine in Tromsø. Prior to that, Tromsø Regional Hospital among other things employed him as manager of the department for information processing and development, and he also worked in the Department for Community Medicine at the University of Tromsø.

Birger J. Nymo obtained his degree in sociology from the University of Oslo in 1982 specialising in mass communication. After a short period as a researcher at the University of Oslo, he started work as a researcher in Telenor in 1983. Birger Nymo has worked within the areas of mass communication, future media, application of ICT in the health service (telemedicine), municipalities and maritime ICT.

Birger Nymo has been leader of several major R&D projects, including the establishment of the telemedicine project in Tromsø and Telenor R&D’s Tromsø department, where he was the leader from 1987 – 1997. At present, he is research director at Telenor Research and Development with the Internet of the future as his main area of responsibility.

In addition to several published papers on telemedicine, Birger Nymo has been among the organisers of several conferences on telemedicine, and a member of national and international research committees.

Eivind Rinde obtained his MSc in informatics from the University of Tromsø (1985). He has been employed by the University of Tromsø and FORUT (The Foundation for Research at the University of Tromsø); and from 1988 he has been researcher at Telenor Research and Development, Tromsø.

Eivind Rinde has been doing research into telemedicine, participated in European projects on telemedicine and in expert advisory groups in the EU within the same field. His main interests within telemedicine have been applications in radiology, pathology and gastroenterology. He was also project leader for Norwegian Telecom’s telemedicine project from 1992 to 1994

Eivind Rinde’s papers have been published in various journals, among them The Lancet, Medical Informatics, Journal of Informatics in Primary Care, World Health Forum, Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, Human Pathology.

Lately, Eivind Rinde has participated in research projects on "Virtual companies", "Network based work organisation" and "ICT solutions for the maritime sector". He has also taken part in development projects for Telenor Infomedica. At present he is involved in R&D projects within home-based care and the use of next generation Internet technology in telemedicine. The Telepathology Group consists of Professor Tor J. Eide, Dept of Pathology, National Hospital, Oslo, Dr Ivar Nordrum, Dept of Pathology, University Hospital, Tromsø, Director Bjørn Engum, Aust-Agder Central Hospital, Research Director Birger Nymo and Senior Consultant Eivind Rinde, both Telenor R&D.

A special achievement of the Group has been the multi-disciplinary research. They have combined expertise from different fields, such as data technology, telecommunication and medicine. The result has been methods and equipment for remote diagnostics which to begin with placed them in front internationally. These results are now in daily use in many countries. Another important reason for success has been the Group’s ability to develop their ideas and methods in cooperation with those professionals who where the future users of the results.

The work of the Telepathology Group has been a part of the Telemedicine Project in Tromsø. As a result of this, the Department of Telemedicine at the University Hospital in Tromsø was established. There is also a "Memorandum of Understanding" with the WHO (World’s Health Organisation) with the intention of establishing a "Collaborative Center " within telemedicine in this Norwegian town. The Center shall cover Europe and parts of Asia.

Tor J. Eide obtained his Honours degree in medicine in Göttingen, Germany (1971) and is at present senior medical officer/prof. MD in the Department of Pathology at the Norwegian National Hospital.

Tor J. Eide has held a number of positions within pathology in Bergen and Tromsø. He has worked as senior medical officer at the Pathology-Anatomy Department of Tromsø Regional Hospital (1987–1994) and professor of pathology at the University of Tromsø (1988–1994). Tor J. Eide obtained his MD in Tromsø with the thesis "The development of colorectal cancer with particular attention to the adenoma-carcinoma sequence" (1984). He is also Honorary Professor at the Department of Pathology at Auckland University, New Zealand (1990).

About 100 of Tor J. Eide’s scientific papers have been published, among them 10-15 on telemedicine. He has been in charge of several congresses and conferences on telemedicine, and in 1995 he received the American award "Pioneer of Innovation in Technology and Medicine" from The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and American Registry of Pathology (Washington D.C.).

Ivar Nordrum obtained his MB from the University of Tromsø (1981) and specialised in pathology (1990). Since 1987 Ivar Nordrum has been senior medical officer at the Pathology-Anatomy department at Tromsø Regional Hospital. Besides his interest in and research into forensic medicine, he has been working on the development and use of solutions within telepathology since 1989. At present, Ivar Nordrum is the professional in charge of the PatNet project (The Norwegian Pathology Network) which aims at connecting everybody working in the pathology environment in the country in a dynamic intranet.

Ivar Nordrum is author and co-author of some 35 published papers – half of them on telemedicine and telepathology. He has held a number of lectures on telepathology at home and abroad.

Bjørn Engum obtained his MSc from the University of Tromsø (1977) – his dissertation being on the application of computer science methods in the health service. He also holds a Masters degree in Health Administration from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Oslo (1998).

Bjørn Engum is at present medical superintendent at Aust-Agder Central Hospital. From 1991 until spring 1999 he was managing director at KITH – Information Technology for improved Healthcare (http://www.kith.no). KITH is the national professional environment for IT and ICT (Information and Communication Technology), founded and owned by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities and the county municipality of Sør-Trøndelag. The KITH centre is situated in Trondheim. Bjørn Engum has participated in a number of national and international development projects. For several years he has been the Norwegian representative and has headed the European standardisation work within the area of information technology in medicine.

From 1988 to 1991 Bjørn Engum was researcher and manager of Norwegian Telecom’s research activities in telemedicine in Tromsø. Prior to that, Tromsø Regional Hospital among other things employed him as manager of the department for information processing and development, and he also worked in the Department for Community Medicine at the University of Tromsø.

Birger J. Nymo obtained his degree in sociology from the University of Oslo in 1982 specialising in mass communication. After a short period as a researcher at the University of Oslo, he started work as a researcher in Telenor in 1983. Birger Nymo has worked within the areas of mass communication, future media, application of ICT in the health service (telemedicine), municipalities and maritime ICT.

Birger Nymo has been leader of several major R&D projects, including the establishment of the telemedicine project in Tromsø and Telenor R&D’s Tromsø department, where he was the leader from 1987 – 1997. At present, he is research director at Telenor Research and Development with the Internet of the future as his main area of responsibility.

In addition to several published papers on telemedicine, Birger Nymo has been among the organisers of several conferences on telemedicine, and a member of national and international research committees.

Eivind Rinde obtained his MSc in informatics from the University of Tromsø (1985). He has been employed by the University of Tromsø and FORUT (The Foundation for Research at the University of Tromsø); and from 1988 he has been researcher at Telenor Research and Development, Tromsø.

Eivind Rinde has been doing research into telemedicine, participated in European projects on telemedicine and in expert advisory groups in the EU within the same field. His main interests within telemedicine have been applications in radiology, pathology and gastroenterology. He was also project leader for Norwegian Telecom’s telemedicine project from 1992 to 1994

Eivind Rinde’s papers have been published in various journals, among them The Lancet, Medical Informatics, Journal of Informatics in Primary Care, World Health Forum, Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, Human Pathology.

Lately, Eivind Rinde has participated in research projects on "Virtual companies", "Network based work organisation" and "ICT solutions for the maritime sector". He has also taken part in development projects for Telenor Infomedica. At present he is involved in R&D projects within home-based care and the use of next generation Internet technology in telemedicine.