Feasibility of developing a pediatric telehealth network in Honduras with international consultation support

Abstract

Introduction: Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America, and roughly 50% of the population lives in rural areas. A telehealth network linking these areas to larger health centers may improve patient access to care, and physician access to educational opportunities. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of establishing a pediatric telehealth network between underserved clinics in Honduras and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Methods: Two underserved Honduran clinics were identified and invited to participate in the telehealth network. Providers from these clinics connected remotely to educational conferences at MUSC, and received teleconsults from MUSC physicians and physicians from the other Honduran site. Honduran providers completed five-point Likert scale satisfaction surveys following participation in the conferences and teleconsults. Results: Survey feedback was positive, with 100% of respondents stating they would utilize telemedicine in the future. Dissatisfaction was expressed subjectively in the survey comments with regards to poor Internet connectivity and unreliable electrical power. Conclusions: The establishment of a telehealth network between Honduras and MUSC is feasible, and rural providers were receptive to the clinical and educational opportunities this network provides. Future projects will expand telehealth capabilities to other Honduran sites and focus on intra-country collaboration to ensure sustainability.

A scoping review of the use of e-learning and e-consultation for healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries and their potential complementarity

“…[44][45][46] Descriptive studies and expert opinion Most descriptive studies focused on the application of either EL or EC for targeting specific health conditions such as infectious diseases (mostly HIV and TBC), 47-55 maternal and child care, 56-64 and pediatrics (Supplementary Tables S1F and S1G). [65][66][67][68] Additional targeted health conditions where EL or EC has been used include cardiology, 41,69 neurology, 44 dermatology, 70,71 and oncology. 72,73 Our search did not find studies related to other relevant types of health conditions in this area according to Winters, 14 such as mental health, trauma, and disabilities.…”

“…105,[108][109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116] Telemedicine networks are large-scale EC interventions falling into our definition of EC. 65,[74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81] These networks implement EC tools for humanitarian purposes in various countries and their beneficial effects are well documented. [79][80][81][82][83] The performance of seven of these networks was evaluated by Wootton et al [79][80][81][82][83] It is of specific interest that at least 2 of these 7 networks also provided EL activities; however, these two forms of interventions are not discussed in the same papers, hence compatibility and complementarity cannot be assessed.…”

Las primeras tres semanas de una clínica de telemedicina gratuita para COVID-19 en Honduras

“…También habrá que explorar otros métodos de telesalud como monitores remotos de pacientes en unidades de cuidados intensivos, los cuales permitirían que el personal de enfermería y médico cuiden a mayor cantidad de pacientes; hay varios ejemplos de estos sistemas en varios centros de países desarrollados (Webster, 2020). En el caso de Honduras, las experiencias con telemedicina deben servir para el desarrollo de sistemas de salud digital efectivos, adaptados a las diversas situaciones de campo, pero cumpliendo los estándares mundiales de ciberseguridad, ética y legalidad (Durón, et al, 2016;Chaet et al, 2017;Brooks et al, 2017;ATA, 2018).…”

Perspectivas de la telemedicina como una alternativa para la atención en salud en Honduras

“…Se requiere en primer lugar poner a prueba las tecnologías de información y comunicación, y protocolos de trabajo de redes a nivel interciudad e internacional para poder desarrollar la telemedicina en Honduras. En un estudio piloto, hemos encontrado la factibilidad y satisfacción de los usuarios en una red de telemedicina entre Olancho y Tegucigalpa (Honduras) y Carolina del Sur (Estados Unidos), comprobando que dicha red es posible y de gran utilidad para consultas intranacionales e internacionales (Brooks et al, 2016). Este proyecto se estará expandiendo en los futuros meses.…”