Embedded Files
Page 3
Access, equity, quality, and cost-effectiveness are key issues facing health care in both developed and less economically developed countries. Modern information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as computers, the Internet, and cell phones, are revolutionizing how individuals communicate with each other, seek and exchange information, and enriching their lives. These technologies have great potential to help address contemporary global health problems. Rooted in the second global survey of eHealth conducted in 2009, this report focuses on the use of ICT for health service delivery—telemedicine. It begins by giving an overview of telemedicine, synthesizing current literature that illuminates the use of telemedicine in developing countries, and highlighting five key lessons learnt from this body of literature. The results of the Telemedicine Section of the second global eHealth survey are then discussed, and key findings highlighted. Finally, recommendations are made on the actions the World Health Organization and its Member States can take to establish telemedicine as part of a sustainable solution to the health care issues faced by developing countries. This unique examination, considering current ICT and the survey results, will provide innovative approaches to help conceptualize solutions to contemporary global health issues. 1.1 What is telemedicine? Telemedicine, a term coined in the 1970s, which literally means “healing at a distance” (1), signifies the use of ICT to improve patient outcomes by increasing access to care and medical information. Recognizing that there is no one definitive definition of telemedicine – a 2007 study found 104 peer-reviewed definitions of the word (2) – the World Health Organization has adopted the following broad description:
“The delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities” (3). The many definitions highlight that telemedicine is an open and constantly evolving science, as it incorporates new advancements in technology and responds and adapts to the changing health needs and contexts of societies. Some distinguish telemedicine from telehealth with the former restricted to service delivery by physicians only, and the latter signifying services provided by health professionals in general, including nurses, pharmacists, and others. However, for the purpose of this report, telemedicine and telehealth are synonymous and used interchangeably. Four elements are germane to telemedicine: 1. Its purpose is to provide clinical support. 2. It is intended to overcome geographical barriers, connecting users who are not in the same physical location. 3. It involves the use of various types of ICT. 4. Its goal is to improve health outcomes. 1.2 Origins and history Historically, telemedicine can be traced back to the mid to late 19th century (4) with one of the first published accounts occurring in the early 20th century when electrocardiograph data were transmitted over telephone wires (5). Telemedicine, in its modern form, started in the 1960s in large part driven by the military and space technology sectors, as well as a few individuals using readily available commercial equipment (4, 6). Examples of early technological milestones in telemedicine include the use of television to facilitate consultations between specialists at a psychiatric institute and general practitioners at a state mental hospital (7), and the provision of expert medical advice from a major teaching hospital to an airport medical centre.
Google Sites
Report abuse