Implementation and evaluation of a low-cost telemedicine station in the remote Ecuadorian rainforest
Abstract
A clinical workstation was developed to provide basic telemedicine services in a medical clinic in rural Ecuador. The unit cost was less than $1000. The system provided videoconferencing and a Spanish language electronic medical record (EMR) for clinic consultations. All partners participated in the development of the EMR. Over a six-month period, almost all new patient encounters and ultrasound studies were entered into the EMR. Of 2387 patient encounters, 572 were recorded in electronic format and 80% were transmitted over the Internet for consultation. Four hundred and eight ultrasound studies were filed with the EMR and 90% were transmitted over the Internet for shared evaluation. During the six months of the study, there were no serious software or hardware problems. The doctor in Ecuador was initially trained at the laboratory in the USA. The two sites were in contact by email almost daily. Without such interaction, the performance of the software and hardware would probably have been worse. When a structured programme of instruction, protocols, EMR and technology support is in place, telemedicine can support remote rural practice.
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Several studies on the topic of tele-ultrasound in resource-limited settings were not included because they did not report a patient care intervention or meaningful clinical outcomes.
“Several studies on the topic of tele-ultrasound in resource-limited settings were not included because they did not report a patient care intervention or meaningful clinical outcomes (20, 57–60).”
From Tele-Ultrasound in Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review (2019) · cites this paper as [57]
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- Authors
- Cone, S. W., Hummel, R., León, J., & Merrell, R. C.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- Clinica Luxemburgo, Macas, Ecuador
- ORCID
- Cone, Stephen W
- Venue
- Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-01-01
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 31-34
- ISSN
- 1357-633X (ISSN-L)
- 1758-1109
- OpenAlex
- W2053545139
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Electronic Health Records Systems
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › ICT in Developing Communities
- Keywords
- telemedicine, rural health care, videoconferencing, electronic health records, telehealth implementation, telemedicine evaluation
- MeSH terms
- Computer Systems, Ecuador, Humans, Information Systems, Medically Underserved Area, Ultrasonography, Medical Records Systems, Computerized, Telemedicine, Rural Health Services, Videoconferencing
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