This article explores how telemedicine is desperately needed to address the lack of healthcare infrastructure and workforce in developing countries, and how it can be effective in saving countless lives.
Why telemedicine is so urgently needed in underserved countries
Many developed countries are entering an ageing society. This is due to a number of factors, but medical advances have led to a steady increase in life expectancy, which has led to dramatic improvements in healthcare systems. One of these developments is the telemedicine system. Telemedicine is any healthcare-related activity that utilizes information and communication technologies, and can be categorized into doctor-to-doctor and doctor-to-patient telemedicine. Over the past half-century, breakthroughs in information and communication technologies and the construction of healthcare data have transformed human health and the health landscape. In particular, advances in telemedicine technology have played an important role in making healthcare accessible not only in developed countries, but also globally.
However, the situation is different in less developed countries (those with a low UN HDI). In developing countries, there are large regional variations in the healthcare workforce and an uneven distribution of healthcare facilities, making it difficult for patients to get to hospitals and other healthcare facilities and even to see a doctor. In this situation, many patients who fall ill do not receive treatment in time, and many die. Especially in the case of infectious diseases, the lack of an adequate response can have serious consequences. For example, the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa in 2014 claimed many lives due to lack of proper diagnosis and treatment. If telemedicine had been implemented in these underdeveloped countries, many lives could have been saved through early diagnosis and treatment.
The need and potential of telemedicine
In developed countries, telemedicine has already been commercialized and patients have benefited greatly. For example, according to the American Telemedicine Association, telemedicine is being used to reduce the time and financial burden of travel for patients and healthcare workers, and to help healthcare professionals diagnose patients and manage those who need long-term care. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department of Health Technology has developed a dedicated program (e-HCD) to help countries establish telemedicine delivery systems. According to the WHO’s Telemedicine Report, about 30% of countries have telemedicine in place. These statistics show that telemedicine is becoming increasingly widespread around the world, and the need to adopt this technology in less developed countries.
The realities and challenges of developing countries
Telemedicine can be difficult to adopt in developing countries, as they often lack even basic healthcare infrastructure. However, the need for telemedicine is even more urgent in developing countries. Poorer countries have significantly higher rates of disease and mortality than developed countries due to a lack of doctors and poor healthcare facilities. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out at the end of 2019 caused global panic, especially in developing countries with weak healthcare infrastructure. If telemedicine had been available in these situations, effective diagnosis and treatment could have been provided, reducing further infections and deaths. As you can see, telemedicine is a technology that can be used more effectively in less developed countries, but the reality is that it is often not possible without outside help. A realistic solution for developing countries would be to organize the necessary capital and resources from developed countries to build telemedicine systems.
There are also a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to implement telemedicine in developing countries. There are various issues such as the vulnerability of privacy, the risk of medical errors, lack of standardization, technical limitations, and incompatibility of equipment. International cooperation and technical support are essential to address these issues.
Telemedicine in developing countries
Telemedicine has already been successfully applied in some underdeveloped countries. For example, the Novartis Foundation has launched a telemedicine program in the Bonsaaso region of Ghana, Africa. The Bonsaaso region is home to approximately 30,000 people, but with only seven healthcare facilities, residents had to travel long distances to access care. However, the introduction of telemedicine systems has enabled doctors and patients to communicate across geographical barriers, significantly improving access to healthcare. These examples show that telemedicine can play an important role in addressing health inequalities and increasing access to healthcare in underdeveloped countries.
Conclusion: The future of telemedicine
The benefits of telemedicine are all predicated on having a system in place. But in practice, can telemedicine systems be easily implemented in underdeveloped or developing countries? The first problem is that telemedicine infrastructure is very expensive to build. In developing and underdeveloped countries, expensive equipment and a lack of internet connectivity make it difficult to adopt technology. In addition, the healthcare realities of developing countries may be more desperate than technological advances, with the most basic sanitation, nutrition, and so on.
Therefore, it may be more realistic for developing countries to build low-cost telemedicine systems that can provide basic medical diagnostics, rather than introducing advanced telemedicine systems in developed countries. To build an affordable telemedicine system, it is important to understand the state of information and communication technology and networks in each country, and to prepare for the economic, physical, and local conditions. For example, the Swinfen Charitable Trust, a Christian medical expedition, provides low-cost telemedicine systems that utilize simple digital cameras and email to help diagnose illnesses in underdeveloped countries. These systems can be a solution to providing specialized medical care while reducing the cost burden.
Ultimately, telemedicine can be an important means to dramatically improve healthcare systems in underdeveloped countries and address health inequalities globally. Once telemedicine is commercialized in underdeveloped countries, patients will be able to receive equal access to healthcare regardless of their country of origin, making a significant contribution to the evolution of the global healthcare landscape.
