Thursday, May 25,2006
Internet Program Links Harvard Medical School Physicians to Cambodian Health Workers
BOSTON and STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- "Operation Village Health," an Internet-based health consultation program, linking Harvard Medical School physicians to healthcare workers in Cambodia, developed and managed by Partners Telemedicine, won top honors at the Stockholm Challenge, a global initiative recognizing the benefits of information technology to communities around the world. The Challenge finalists were all honored at the award celebrations, attended by over 400 guests in the Stockholm City Hall. Partners Telemedicine, a leader in the use of technology to deliver quality patient care outside of the hospital or doctor's office, is a division of Partners HealthCare. Partners is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and was founded by Massachusetts General and Brigham & Women's Hospitals in Boston.
Operation Village Health enables U.S. physicians affiliated with Harvard Medical School to provide clinical recommendations to Cambodian health workers in remote villages, via an email-based system for triage and physician consultation. These online consultations allow isolated healthcare workers to send clinical documents and images to Harvard-affiliated physicians on the other side of the globe. After review, recommendations are returned within hours, enabling a unique educational opportunity for the Cambodian healthcare workers and improved care for the community.
"Since 2001, over 600 patient visits have been completed through our telemedicine program and we hope to expand into other remote areas, using this program as a model for future cross-cultural, Internet-based healthcare initiatives," said Paul Heinzelmann, M.D., Project Leader of Operation Village Health at Partners Telemedicine. "We are continuing to expand this program through innovative applications of information and communication technologies, including the development of a digital pen system to enhance the quality of transcription and clinical documents composed by the local healthcare workers."
Cambodia ranks among the highest in poverty levels, where disparities in healthcare access are great, particularly in rural areas. There is also a severe shortage of healthcare workers and the country is facing a severe health burden.
Partners Telemedicine works with Cambodian physicians at Ratanakiri Referral Hospital in Ban Lung and nurses at the Rovieng Health Center, in cooperation with Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope. American Assistance Cambodia has established the infrastructure for Operation Village Health. Through Operation Village Health, the rate of offsite patient referrals and the duration of chronic medical problems among villagers have decreased since the program was established.
The Stockholm Challenge is a non-profit initiative based at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and is sponsored by the City of Stockholm, Ericsson, and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Event sponsors also include Sun Microsystems, the Swedish Program for Information and Communication Technology in Developing Regions (SPIDER), Cisco and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The Stockholm Challenge is a world forum for IT pioneers from around the world to showcase projects of excellence and demonstrate how information technology can improve living conditions and increase economic growth in all parts of the world. Over 1,100 entries were submitted by projects from over 50 countries for the 2006 challenge.
The Stockholm Challenge jury noted the following about Operation Village Health: "This project is a practical demonstration of cooperation across cultural and political divides, using ICT to improve the health conditions in Cambodia. Medical services often do not reach the people who most need them. Intermediaries, red tape, education difficulties and poverty create barriers. The jury highlights ICT uses at the grassroots to bypass those barriers to good medical services for the people and be rapidly extended to meet the Millennium Development goals in disadvantaged communities throughout the world and Operation Village Health is a fine example of that."
About Partners Telemedicine
Partners Telemedicine, Boston, is a leader in the use of technology to deliver quality patient care outside of the hospital or doctor's office, applying consumer technologies and online resources -- such as the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and sensors -- in innovative ways to increase access and improve care for patients when and where it is needed. Partners Telemedicine is connecting leading medical specialists with patients -- in their homes, offices and around the world -- to better manage and monitor patient health, offer expert second opinions and provide convenient, personalized medical care. Partners Telemedicine is part of Partners HealthCare, a Boston-based integrated health system founded by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Partners is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations.
Visit http://www.telemedicine.partners.org.
CONTACT:
Gina Cella
Cella Communications
Tel: 781-334-4692
ginacella@comcast.net
Operation Village Health enables U.S. physicians affiliated with Harvard Medical School to provide clinical recommendations to Cambodian health workers in remote villages, via an email-based system for triage and physician consultation. These online consultations allow isolated healthcare workers to send clinical documents and images to Harvard-affiliated physicians on the other side of the globe. After review, recommendations are returned within hours, enabling a unique educational opportunity for the Cambodian healthcare workers and improved care for the community.
"Since 2001, over 600 patient visits have been completed through our telemedicine program and we hope to expand into other remote areas, using this program as a model for future cross-cultural, Internet-based healthcare initiatives," said Paul Heinzelmann, M.D., Project Leader of Operation Village Health at Partners Telemedicine. "We are continuing to expand this program through innovative applications of information and communication technologies, including the development of a digital pen system to enhance the quality of transcription and clinical documents composed by the local healthcare workers."
Cambodia ranks among the highest in poverty levels, where disparities in healthcare access are great, particularly in rural areas. There is also a severe shortage of healthcare workers and the country is facing a severe health burden.
Partners Telemedicine works with Cambodian physicians at Ratanakiri Referral Hospital in Ban Lung and nurses at the Rovieng Health Center, in cooperation with Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope. American Assistance Cambodia has established the infrastructure for Operation Village Health. Through Operation Village Health, the rate of offsite patient referrals and the duration of chronic medical problems among villagers have decreased since the program was established.
The Stockholm Challenge is a non-profit initiative based at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and is sponsored by the City of Stockholm, Ericsson, and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Event sponsors also include Sun Microsystems, the Swedish Program for Information and Communication Technology in Developing Regions (SPIDER), Cisco and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The Stockholm Challenge is a world forum for IT pioneers from around the world to showcase projects of excellence and demonstrate how information technology can improve living conditions and increase economic growth in all parts of the world. Over 1,100 entries were submitted by projects from over 50 countries for the 2006 challenge.
The Stockholm Challenge jury noted the following about Operation Village Health: "This project is a practical demonstration of cooperation across cultural and political divides, using ICT to improve the health conditions in Cambodia. Medical services often do not reach the people who most need them. Intermediaries, red tape, education difficulties and poverty create barriers. The jury highlights ICT uses at the grassroots to bypass those barriers to good medical services for the people and be rapidly extended to meet the Millennium Development goals in disadvantaged communities throughout the world and Operation Village Health is a fine example of that."
About Partners Telemedicine
Partners Telemedicine, Boston, is a leader in the use of technology to deliver quality patient care outside of the hospital or doctor's office, applying consumer technologies and online resources -- such as the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and sensors -- in innovative ways to increase access and improve care for patients when and where it is needed. Partners Telemedicine is connecting leading medical specialists with patients -- in their homes, offices and around the world -- to better manage and monitor patient health, offer expert second opinions and provide convenient, personalized medical care. Partners Telemedicine is part of Partners HealthCare, a Boston-based integrated health system founded by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Partners is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations.
Visit http://www.telemedicine.partners.org.
CONTACT:
Gina Cella
Cella Communications
Tel: 781-334-4692
ginacella@comcast.net
2 comments:
Khmer government should encourage more of telemedicine for Khmer people. Khmer people don't need to travel long distance to Thailand and Vietname just get a basic health care. This is one solution to help the shortage of Khmer doctors and to reduce the burden on Khmer healthcare crisis right now! This is the opportunity to provide basic and affordable healthcare to all Khmer! Telemedicine the way of the future.
Only Hun Xen family and crooks can afford to go to Viet Name or ThaiLand! my dear friend.
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