Head of the Telemedicine Research and Development Unit, Dr. Winston Davidson (left), in conversation with Minister of Health, John Junor, at the recently held Caribbean Telemedicine Symposium and Exhibition. - ContributedJAMAICAN DOCTORS should start providing remote treatment for patients once adequate funding is found to complete the project, according to Dr. Winston Davidson, Head of the Telemedicine Research and Development Unit at the University of the West Indies.
"Essentially, what you are talking about is the use of information technology with the management of health information, to create the conditions for access of the patient anytime, anywhere," explains Dr. Davidson. From making the initial phone call, the patient would then be able to link with the doctor through his website.
Dr. Davidson has created a seven step integrated telemedicine programme known as 'The Caribbean Model', which when implemented, will allow a patient to have immediate access to their doctor or their medical records using their telephone as a starting point.
Implementation of the seven-step integrated Caribbean Model requires funding, as well as the availability of broadband bandwidth for the technology to effectively work. Funding to make the model and all its functions operational will cost an estimated US$1.5 million.
He told JIS News that local investors have not expressed an eagerness to fund the programme, and as such, he will seek overseas investors.
BROADBAND NEEDED
"For the model to be fully operational, the financial investment and broadband is needed. This will finish the network operating centre and the network attached storage," he says.
If the funding is secured and all the technological kinks to the system are straightened out, the tentative start up time for the system to work will be between six weeks and two months.
