Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 15, Number 2 > Pp. 83-88

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wootton, R. Articles by Ferguson, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

RESEARCH Original articles

Follow-up data for patients managed by store and forward telemedicine in developing countries

Richard Wootton ^*, John Menzies   and Paula Ferguson 

^* Scottish Centre for Telehealth, Aberdeen, UK and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; JTA International, Brisbane, Australia; Tabubil Hospital, Tabubil, Papua New Guinea

Correspondence: Dr J Menzies, JTA International, Level 10, 46 Edward Street, Brisbane 4000, Australia (Fax: +61 7 3210 2161; Email: john.menzies{at}jtai.com.au)

There is very little published information about the outcomes of patients treated by telemedicine in developing countries. Over a two-year period, seven medical students from five universities spent their electives at a hospital in Papua New Guinea. They assisted with the review of a total of 44 e-referrals made by local doctors; the referrals resulted in 61 queries in a wide range of specialties. The major categories of these queries were internal medicine, paediatrics and surgery. Follow-up data were obtained in 22 of the 44 cases (50%) after a median period of 13 weeks (interquartile range 3-19). The cases were reviewed by an independent doctor. Telemedicine was considered to have assisted with the diagnosis in all cases (median score 5 on a five-point scale from 1 = not helpful at all to 5 = very good/excellent). The advice to the referring doctor for further action was considered helpful in all except one case (median score 5 on the same scale). The outcome for the patient was considered to be good in 15 of the cases (median score 4 on the same scale). Medical students were able to facilitate e-referrals by relieving the pressure on the local doctor to undertake the necessary clerical and technical work. The students reported a rewarding elective experience. The follow-up data showed that low-cost telemedicine can provide useful advice in a low resource setting.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?