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Telehealth Applications for Continuing
Education, Distance Learning, and
Training for Health Professionals
Our Mission
SATELLIFE is committed to building healthier communities in developing
countries using the power of information technology.
•Started in 1987 by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
•In 1989 created HealthNet, a global electronic information and communications network for health professionals
• Pioneered basic store and forward e-mail computer nodes and local networks in developing countries
•Developed low-cost e-mail based access to high-quality health information, publications and discussion groups
History
The Digital Divide and Information Poverty
Contributing factors:
•Poor telecommunications infrastructures
•High cost of telephone and Internet usage, as well as equipment
•High cost of journal subscriptions and medical literature.
•Unfavorable regulatory environments
•Insufficient technical and end user training
The Digital Divide and Information Poverty
The results:
•Isolation of health workers; “Brain Drain”
•Inability to access global knowledge
•Inability to share knowledge locally, nationally, or internationally
•Patients do not get the best possible care.
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Kenya
Sudan
Uganda
Zimbabwe
Nepal
SATELLIFE
The HealthNet Sites
HealthNet Haiti
•No phone lines.
•Connect using satellite ground station.
•Receive e-mail 4 -6 times a day.
HealthNet Ethiopia
•Phone lines but no Internet.
•SATELLIFE calls 3-5 times a day via modem.
•Redistributes e-mail to over 50 sites.
HealthNet Kenya
•Shared Internet account retrieves e-mail.
•Store and forward in-country.
•Operates a training centre.
HealthNet Nepal
•Internet Service Provider for region.
•Offers full Web access and a wide range of information services.
•Offers many other services, including Web site hosting, training, computer networking, and Internet phone.
Each HealthNet has evolved to meet local needs and conditions.
SATELLIFE’s INFORMATION SERVICES
Current…Relevant... Affordable…Reliable... All available, free of charge, via email
Moderated discussion groups on specific health topics and electronic publications featuring current, peer-reviewed
clinical and public health materialfor continuing education and distance learning
ElectronicPublications
GetWeb
SATELLIFEInformation Services
Offline accessto the WorldWide Web
ElectronicDirectory
WHO LibraryDigest for
Africa
HealthNet News -AIDS
and others ...
Child HealthDialogue
HealthNetNews
INDICES
E-Farmacos
E-DRUG
ProCAARE
ProCOR
AFRONETS
Global Electronic Conferences
Global Database of Health
Professionals
AIDS
Action
Health Action
1.) The Technology Continuum
2.) Institutional Capacity, Local Ownership
3.) Sustainability & Business Planning
4.) Training
Lessons Learned from a Decade of Service
SATELLIFE and its HealthNet partners employ a continuum of technologies to facilitate communication
and the exchange of information among health professionals worldwide.
SATELLITE
Ground Station
INTERNET
telephone hub
end users
SATELLIFE
LOCAL ISP TELEPHONE HUB
end users
1. The Technology Continuum
2. Institutional Capacity and Local Ownership
INDICATORS FOR SUCCESS
•Strong sense of local ownership
•Need for network recognized locally
•Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
•Healthy partnership between SATELLIFE and local entity
•Local “champion”
IMPEDIMENTS TO SUCCESS
•Roles and responsibilities not clearly defined
•Insufficient funding
•No long-term plan
•No perceived value of network as a solution to local needs
•Poorly developed partnership between SATELLIFE and local entity
•No local “champion”
3. Self-sustainability and Business Planning
HealthNets that have attained a high degree of sustainability and financial independence from SATELLIFE share many of these features:
sound management
business plan
cost recovery system
marketing strategy
qualified paid staff
customer service orientation
SATELLIFE’s experience with the Regional Information Technology Training Centre at HealthNet Kenya demonstrated the huge demand for computer training among health professionals. Many HealthNet sites are making training a top priority.
4.Training
SATELLIFE also invests in technical training for HealthNet System Operators.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Technical upgrades
Increased marketing
Training
Rural AccessMultiple technologies
Evaluation
30 California Street
Watertown, MA 02472
USA
http://www.healthnet.org
phone: +(617) 926-9400
fax: +(617) 926-1212
e-mail: [email protected]
