Telemedicine and Its Potential Impacts on Reducing Inequalities in Access to Health Manpower

Abstract

Human resources for health have many diverse aspects that sometimes bring about conflicts in the healthcare market. In recent decades issues such as attrition, migration, and different types of imbalances in health workers were not only considered as international problems, but also took on new particular dimensions and complications. Rapid growth in establishing infrastructure of communications and many diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS and malaria, as well as shortages in skilled healthcare providers in developing countries, interested many health economists and health professionals to consider telemedicine as an approach to deliver some healthcare and to pursue its effects on human resources management in healthcare. The objective of this communication is to offer a better understanding of the value of telemedicine in human resources management in healthcare. This article briefly reviews related literature on potential contributions of telemedicine in mitigating four different types of imbalances in health workers and points out some of its capabilities. Although there is a great need for systematic, scientific, and analytical studies in effects of telemedicine on health workers, expansion of communication infrastructure throughout and especially in remote areas, political commitment, and provision of useful information and education to reduce problems of human resources for health are beneficial.

An ethical analysis of telemedicine: implications for future research

“…Those who are disparaged in the current healthcare system may also be disadvantaged in the remote monitoring intervention. First of all, rural communities have inadequate financial and technological infrastructure to support technology (Anker et al, 2011;Nelson, 2010;Nouhi et al, 2012;Wootton et al, 2012). Secondly, the use of technology maybe biased toward those who have adequate levels of computer and health literacy (Anker et al, 2011).…”

El Sistema de Telemedicina Militar en España: una aproximación histórica

“…Nadie parece dudar del potencial de la telemedicina, y de las oportunidades que ésta puede ofrecer en la provisión de la cobertura sanitaria, la equidad en el acceso, la calidad en los servicios o la eficiencia en la utilización de los recursos médicos 5,10,[27][28][29] . A la luz de este potencial, la Organización Nacional de la Salud (OMS) abrió el Observatorio Global para la eHealth (GOe) con el objetivo de analizar los beneficios que las TIC pueden traer a la asistencia médica y al bienestar del paciente 7 .…”

Summation of the Year and International Telemedicine

“…11 Telemedicine is a valid means to approaching the daunting task of reducing inequalities in access to health manpower as reported in 2012. 12 An article from Egypt reported the use of advanced international telepharmacy education and indicated the pervasive use of e-health to objectively improve care in seemingly impossible areas such as cancer care. 13 In the evolution of international telemedicine it is now clear that it is not necessary to maintain constant supervision from a distant partner, but programs can enter the mainstream of another distant region as self-sustaining and locally led efforts engaging with the international telemedicine community as a full and not junior partner.…”