Telematics in health care in developing countries.

Abstract

The urge to be healthy and the urge to communicate are both integral aspects of human nature and the use of telematics to support care efforts arises from a combination of these human traits. The term refers to health informatics and telematics or simply to health telematics. Either term applies to the uses of computers networking and communications in the areas of care delivery management and research. The types of information processed by HIT applications include literature knowledge statistics and epidemiology and management. Examples of the use of HIT applications include the acquisition of a low-orbit satellite earthstation by the University of Zambia which offered accessibility to MEDLINE and through e-mail enhanced international and national communications. Knowledge-based systems allow access to an expert system such as a computer or to a remote human expert. The rapidly evolving field of TeleMedicine includes links from some Middle East hospitals to hospitals in the US. The most examples of the use of HIT applications involve epidemiological surveillance such as that employed in the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in Burkina Faso. In this attempt to eliminate the vector causing river blindness data collection and analysis was made possible through the use of informatics and telematics support systems. Few examples exist presently of the use of HIT applications in management although the need for such applications is great. In developing countries the use of telematics relies on 1) the efforts of pioneering individuals; 2) the desire of people to take charge of their lives; 3) the cost-effectiveness of the resources; 4) the INTERNET which is presently available in only a few developing countries; and 5) access to Low Earth Orbit satellites which are available from a few nonprofit services and which provide links to international networks. The usefulness of HIT applications to developing countries is unquestioned. What is important is to analyze the cost-benefit aspects of the applications and insure their sustainability.