174140 Using Technology to Improve Indigenous and Remote Health: A Systematic Review of Telehealth Initiatives in North America

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Pammie Gabrielle Renee Crawford, MPhil, SM , PhD Candidate, International Health, Health Systems Division/Department of Health Information Systems, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Judy Mitchell, BSW , Department of Community Health, MSc Candidate, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
Josée G. Lavoie, PhD , Health Science Programs, Assistant Professor, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada
Introduction: Many indigenous communities experience a disproportionate burden of morbidity, yet remote/on-reserve healthcare access is limited and medical transportation costs prohibitive. Telehealth can be innovatively used through modern technology to provide care for such populations. To better understand issues surrounding telehealth a systematic review was conducted of grey and published literature of telehealth for remote and indigenous communities' on-reserve.

Methods: The systematic review of literature on telehealth for indigenous on-reserve/remote communities included 121 academic articles and 27 Government documents detailing telehealth projects providing healthcare to indigenous communities. Of these, only 30 references were found to fit project parameters.

Results: Results showed telehealth services provided to remote/indigenous patients' on-reserve filled a healthcare access gap for communities without ready access. Studies showed telehealth useful for providing: mental healthcare, health education/behaviour, radiology, oncology, dermatology and ophthalmology for populations normally unable to access healthcare due to their remote locations and/or travel barriers.

Conclusion: Studies showed patients very satisfied with healthcare provision via telehealth regardless of the medical discipline. Telehealth increased follow-up care for some patients who admitted they would not normally follow-up if travel was required. Both patients and clients benefited from less travel and from averted costs provided with telehealth. The more satisfied/comfortable a patient is with telehealth the more likely telehealth will be implemented into the remote/indigenous community for many providing the only option for healthcare without extensive traveling. Overall, telehealth is an option of healthcare provision capable of filling the healthcare access gap experienced by many remote and indigenous communities on-reserve.

Learning Objectives:
Recognize the importance of using telehealth to improve access to care for indigenous populations on-reserve Discuss potential long-term benefits for telehealth for indigenous communities on-reserve and remotely located populations throughout the world Identify basic technological needs for telehealth healthcare provision

Keywords: Native and Indigenous Populations, Technology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: This is my PhD dissertation topic and my current area of research.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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