BMJ 2001;323:524-525 ( 8 September )

Editorials

Telemedicine in developing countries

May have more impact than in developed countries

Clinical review p 557

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The advent of modern communication technology has unleashed a new wave of opportunities and threats to the delivery of health services.1 Telemedicine, a broad umbrella term for delivery of medical care at a distance, has reached around the world, and now health professionals can communicate faster, more widely, and more directly with clients and colleagues, no matter where they are.2 Telemedicine may in fact have a more profound impact on developing countries than on developed ones.

Satellite stations in Uzbekistan, wireless connections in Cambodia, and microwave transmission in Kosova have shown that the low bandwidth internet can reach into remote areas, some of them with troubled political situations and uncertain economic environments. It has been more difficult and costly to implement broad bandwidth applications in these locations. Nevertheless, with the internet come email, websites, chatlines, multimedia presentations, and occasional opportunities for synchronous communication via internet phones and videoconferencing. Each of . . . [Full text of this article]
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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Froehlich, W., Seitaboth, S., Chanpheaktra, N., Pugatch, D. (2009). Case report: an example of international telemedicine success. J Telemed Telecare 15: 208-210 [Abstract] [Full text]  
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