Brooks Mary, Holden Kenton R, Durón Reyna M, McElligott James T, Summer Andrea
Charelston, SC.
Charleston, SC.
Rural Remote Health. 2017 Apr-Jun;17(2):3965. doi: 10.22605/RRH3965. Epub 2017 May 31.
Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America, and roughly 50% of the population lives in rural areas. A telehealth network linking these areas to larger health centers may improve patient access to care, and physician access to educational opportunities. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of establishing a pediatric telehealth network between underserved clinics in Honduras and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
Two underserved Honduran clinics were identified and invited to participate in the telehealth network. Providers from these clinics connected remotely to educational conferences at MUSC, and received teleconsults from MUSC physicians and physicians from the other Honduran site. Honduran providers completed five-point Likert scale satisfaction surveys following participation in the conferences and teleconsults.
Survey feedback was positive, with 100% of respondents stating they would utilize telemedicine in the future. Dissatisfaction was expressed subjectively in the survey comments with regards to poor Internet connectivity and unreliable electrical power.
The establishment of a telehealth network between Honduras and MUSC is feasible, and rural providers were receptive to the clinical and educational opportunities this network provides. Future projects will expand telehealth capabilities to other Honduran sites and focus on intra-country collaboration to ensure sustainability.
洪都拉斯是中美洲第二贫穷的国家，约50%的人口生活在农村地区。一个将这些地区与更大的医疗中心连接起来的远程医疗网络可能会改善患者获得医疗服务的机会，以及医生获得教育机会的途径。这项试点研究评估了在洪都拉斯服务不足的诊所与南卡罗来纳医科大学（MUSC）之间建立儿科远程医疗网络的可行性。
确定了两家服务不足的洪都拉斯诊所，并邀请它们参与远程医疗网络。这些诊所的提供者远程连接到MUSC的教育会议，并接受来自MUSC医生和另一家洪都拉斯诊所医生的远程会诊。洪都拉斯的提供者在参加会议和远程会诊后完成了五点李克特量表满意度调查。
调查反馈是积极的，100%的受访者表示他们将来会使用远程医疗。在调查评论中，受访者主观表达了对网络连接差和电力供应不可靠的不满。
在洪都拉斯和MUSC之间建立远程医疗网络是可行的，农村地区的提供者接受了这个网络提供的临床和教育机会。未来的项目将把远程医疗能力扩展到其他洪都拉斯地点，并专注于国内合作以确保可持续性。
