The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43544

John H. Romani, PhD¹, Barbara A. Anderson, PhD², Johan A. van Zyl, BA³, Heston E. Phillips, PhD⁴, Marie Wentzel, MA³, and Khuli Tlabela, BA³. (1) School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 2670 Bedford Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-4010, 734 995-0667, jhromani@umich.edu, (2) Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Box 1248, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, (3) Human Sciences Research Council, Private Bag X41, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, (4) Department of Sociology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

The government of South Africa in 1999 initiated a three phase program to create a national telemedicine system. (Gulube and Wynchank, 2001). The third phase of this endeavor, now underway, involves the establishment of telemedicine sites to meet rural health care needs. Coincident with this activity has been the development of a privately sponsored telemedicine arrangement linking community health nurses located in community pharmacies with a panel of physicians for the purpose of providing primary care via a telecommunications set up. This paper analyzes these two systems and their relative potential as cost-effective means to meet the commitment made in 1995 by the South African government to provide free primary care to mothers and children. Particular attention in the analysis is given to the human and social factors involved in the application of the telemedicine technology to the delivery of primary health services to remote rural and other underserved areas.

S.M. Gulube and S. Wynchank, “Telemedicine in South Africa: success or failure,” Journal of Telemedicine and Health Care. 2001. 7 (Supp. 2): 52: 47-49.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) will be able to

• Describe the component elements of a telemedicine system.
• Identify the infrastructure required to establish and support a telemedicine system for the delivery of primary health care.
• Recognize and describe the conditions under which patients and providers will participate in delivery of primary health care services via telemedicine arrangements.
• Assess the applicability of the two telemedicine systems examined to other settings.

Keywords: Telemedicine, Underserved Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.