World Hospitals and Health Services - International Hospital ...

E-HEALTH SUPPLEMENT: WORLD HEALTH CHANNEL
Stream III: The cutting edge
Topics: appropriate technology, recent advances in
medicine, e-health, biotechnology, Human Genome Project,
pharmacogenomics, drug development, essential drugs.
Stream IV: In and out of hospital
Topics: medical and surgical specialty care, including
neurology, cardiology, renal medicine, respiratory
medicine, dermatology, opthalmology, ENT, general surgery,
gastroenterology, rheumatology, pain management,
neurophysiology.
Stream V: Mother and child
Topics: Reproductive health, paediatrics and child health,
HIV AIDS, immunisations, health education for school aged
children and adolescent medicine.
Stream VI: Emergency
Topics: emergency medicine, disaster management, refugee
care, prehospital care, wilderness medicine, aviation
medicine.
Stream VII: Mental health
Topics: psychiatry, community and outpatient mental health
care, consultation – liaison, neuropsychiatry, behavioural
neurology.
The project will initially be geared towards members of
governmental and non-governmental agencies working in
the health care arena in developing countries with additional
content phased gradually in as permitted by the network
resources. This will also allow recognition of appropriate
health care workers using the clinical components of the
network. Local and international partner organisations will
be asked to contribute content and/or an identified person
with which to coordinate the network activities from within
their system. It will, however, subsequently be offered to all
health care workers in developing countries regardless of
their affiliation to existing organisations. The courses, textbased
education and patient support groups will be made
fully accessible to all wishing to participate. The network
may also be developed to include videoconferencing and
real-time consultations as well as other multimedia
applications of telehealth. As broad bandwidth access to the
Internet becomes more widely available, videoconferencing
and video streaming will be offered. Training and support
will be built-in online, which will be made available to all
members of the community. Recognition and inclusion of
local content and programmes, specific needs assessments
in developing countries as well as coordination with other
international efforts in health information and knowledge
management will be stressed throughout the development of
the WHC. Continuous assessment of the impact of the
WHC itself, and the relevance, applicability and quality of
the content will also be emphasised, developing the WHC as
a Community of Practice in Health and Development using
WorldSpace and multiple networks to maximise
accessibility.
Even the most remote health workers now will be able to
be supported and have their skills updated and retain a
connection with their colleagues at a distance through access
to the WHC. The professional support and maintenance of
clinical standards in remote areas, a perennial problem in
developing countries, can be served in a cost efficient and
effective manner through this initiative. The potential for
offering high quality, affordable and accessible health
education, training and knowledge through the WHC is
limitless. We welcome participation from all interested in
health information and development. ❑
References
1. Godlee, F Pakenham-Walsh, N Ncayiyana, D Cohen, B Packer, ‘A Can we
achieve health information for all by 2015?’ Lancet 2004 (18 July); 364: 295-
300)
2. McConnell, H The Role of Health Communications in Combating HIV/AIDS,
Malaria and TB. Mera, Medical Education Resource Africa, September, 2003 (7).
3. McConnell, H The World Health Channel and Medical Education in Africa,
Mera, Medical Education Resource Africa. July, 2003 (6).
4. McConnell H International efforts in implementing national health information
infrastructure and electronic health records World Hosp Health Serv.
2004;40(1):33-7, 39-40, 50-2.
5. S.Rangarajan and Mesfin Ayenew Virtual classroom via WorldSpace: A case
study for Medical Information to developing countries, October, 2002.
http://www.thinkcycle.org/tc-papers/?paper_id=37842&show_full=16.
Rangarajan, J Soumagne and M.Samir, Reaching the Unreached worldwide
using WorldSpace technology, 10th European Congress and Trade Fair for
Educational and Information Technology, Learntec-UNESCO, Pp.129-134,
2002.
7. S.Rangarajan*, Wanjira Kamwere**and Victor Ajuoga Innovative Internet
Access to a remote school in Kenya, October, 2002.
http://www.thinkcycle.org/tc-papers/?paper_id=37806&show_full=1
Vol. 40 No. 4 | World Hospitals and Health Services | 39