Telemedicine specialist, South African Telemedical Resources (TMR), today officially opened SA`s first telemedicine site to encompass several areas of medical specialty, aimed at improving primary healthcare in South Africa.
The launch, which represents the completion of the first stage of TMR`s National Pilot Network, occurred at a dual site launch between the Western and Eastern Cape regions. Tygerburg hospital is now linked to Groote Schuur Hospital to provide radiology and pathology expertise, with links to Frere Provincial Hospital in East London for pathology and haematology cases.
Telemedicine, a stated government priority for 1999, enables the remote diagnosis of patients at a distance through the transmission of the patient`s medical data via telephone lines, microwave or satellite.
The pilot project has been co-sponsored by the recently formed Consortium for TeleHealth SA, one of the bidders for the government`s telemedicine tender. Members of the consortium include TMR, TeleMedware, Choice Technologies, Videre, and the South African Medical and Dental Practitioners Association (SAMDP).
Videre has supplied a PictureTel video conferencing system to enable live interactive consultation, collaboration to facilitate diagnosis. TMR has installed Mercury software, which is used for the transmission of medical data via telecommunications lines to facilitate patient diagnose at a distance. Computer equipment as well as input devices such as a Vidar x-ray film digitiser, and a CCD camera mounted on a microscope have also been supplied by TeleMedware.
Telkom has agreed to sponsor the ISDN telecommunications lines and transmission traffic for the pilot site project, while networking multi-national 3Com, has supplied communications equipment enabling the linking of the various sites.
Advances in multi media computer technology and the lowering of network costs have created the opportunity for telemedicine to play an active and cost-effective role in the provision of quality healthcare to previously under-serviced areas and populations, explains TMR Chairman, Dr Nkaki Matlala.
The installation of a National Pilot Project is aimed at developing a telemedicine network linking medical resources such as specialists in radiology, pathology and opthalmology with medical needs especially relevant in SA`s rural or under-serviced clinics across the public and private healthcare sectors.
"Rather than move the patient, medical personnel, material or samples, Telemedicine takes the doctor to the patient," he says. "The result is a real saving in time, transportation and non duplication of tests, salaries and more importantly increased access to quality medical care."
"Tele-medicine enables the same number of doctors to serve an extended population and healthcare is provided at the point of need allowing for a maximization of medical resources in the form of personnel and equipment," he says. "During the Pilot Project TMR will be able to analyze statistical data and demonstrate anticipated cost savings, to further support and develop a commercial telemedicine network."
Matlala points out that expert remote diagnosis of a patient is now possible. "In other words, the ability to send patients radiology, pathology, and dermatology images to an expert for remote diagnosis or a second opinion is now possible," he says. "It also enables diagnosis via telemedicine when specialists are unavailable on-site and cuts the costs involved with keeping patients overnight while awaiting testing results."
The hospitals will realize substantial savings in patient charges. According to Professor Nevitsky, head of Haematology at Groote Schuur, the diagnosis of bone marrow patients who travel from the Eastern Cape, because of no expertise in their region, costs Groote Schuur around R78 000. "Now with the link up between the two centres diagnosis can take place remotely and save both provinces an enormous amount of money per patient," he says.
"The pilot site will act as a demonstration centre for clients in the public and private sectors. It will also enable us to gather statistics as to the cost savings the technology provides," says Matlala "We feel that to validate tele-medicine and its positive impact on the medical sector with regard to medical care, a network must be established to demonstrate how this new technology can operate on a day-to-day basis and how it can improve the organisation of resources and the quality of healthcare in South Africa."
With the introduction of community services for doctors in SA, many young doctors are sent to clinics and hospitals where there is a lack of senior medical staff. Without direct senior medical supervision all cases these young doctors encounter are referred to city hospitals defeating the purpose of putting these young doctors in urban clinics and hospitals.
"Telemedicine can play a major role in helping doctors doing community service in remote hospitals and clinics to obtain proper medical supervision from more qualified professionals in city centres," Matlala adds.
TMR`s aim, with the help of the consortium and sponsors, is to establish a telemedicine network throughout South Africa and Africa, linking medical services with medical needs. Phase two will include TMR`s roll out of the pilot to include sites in Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng.
@EditorNote = Editors note
South African Telemedical Resources (TMR) is a specialist in the business of multimedia and telemedicine and telecommunications. TMR`s mission is to provide multimedia products and systems that facilitate the healthcare decision-making process through the development of information networks focusing on the transmission of image, sound, video and text. For more information take a look at the TMR web-site at: http://www.tmr.co.za
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