About EHealth Technology
The use of telecommunications technology to provide, enhance, or expedite health care services, as by accessing off-site databases, linking clinics or physicians' offices to central hospitals, or transmitting x-rays or other diagnostic images for examination at another site.
E health however is a much more encompassing term which has been defined by WHO as :
“The delivery of healthcare services, where distance is a critical factor, by all healthcare 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 healthcare providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities ”
Telemedicine was initially conceived to provide healthcare to space travelers, thereafter extending health care facilities for the geographically hard-to-reach and the undeserved. With time, Telemedicine is becoming more widespread, less costly, and new applications are emerging. Over the last decade the technology has moved from expensive room-sized systems to the desktop personal computer, now extending to the Internet as well.
India, which has a large population (1029 Million in 2001) has vastly varied terrains from Deserts, Coastal regions, Tropical Jungles, Islands and Mountains . Roads and physical reach are a problem in many areas. 72,2% of our population is rural who are supplied by less than 30% of medical professionals. Worse if one is searching for specialized medical care the Ratio is less than 4% in Rural areas. While healthcare is the responsibility of the state, the actual provision by the state is less than 30% of the needs. The reasons for these are varied but a large extent are related to the lack of actual facilities even when promised e.g. doctors may not be present or may refuse to take care stating that it is beyond his scope.
Most doctors are not willing to work in Rural areas as there is a lack of adequate facilities, not only for them to satisfactorily practice to the level of training imparted to them. Also general facilities like good schools for their children or proper social and entertainment facilities for them to maintain the standard living which they are used too, are lacking.
On an average, 50 - 60% of healthcare needs are met by simple consultations and following general health practices or taking medicines. While actual Healthcare expenditure in India constitutes is 5.2% of the GDP (compared with 2.7% in China) it is widely believed that can go upto 15% of the budget of most families. In rural areas, much of the expenditure is wasted on the transportation to the nearest healthcare facility. Though never publicized, we have been told that China has been doing tele-consultations since a long time mostly through telephone using experts in the cities and a wide network of less qualified barefoot doctors present in the community.
Want to read more?? --click below
- What is EHealth
- Training Health Workers
