ICT and Health: Promises and challenges for social inclusion
by Laura Cantu
1. The potential health benefits of ICT Eight areas in which ICT can contribute to health care have been identified: access, effectiveness, efficiency, quality, safety, knowledge generation, economic impact and integration
2. The urgent need for strategies and policies In a context of vast diversity, both between and within countries, the incorporation of ICT in the field of health lags behind ICT use in other sectors such as education and government
3. Achieving health objectives is highly dependent on reducing health inequities, and ICT are a powerful tool for accomplishing this.
4. Evidence: Medicarro: a telemedicine solution made in Venezuela
5. Evidence: Telemedicine: a health solution in rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean
6. Evidence: Peru: 500 kilometres of interconnection
7. Evidence: Colombia: Telemedicine by specialists in radiology and rehabilitation
8. RUTE: Telemedicine and training The University Telemedicine Network receives support from Brazil’s Ministry of Science and Technology through the National Agency for Innovation. This support is executed through the National Teaching and Research Network (RNP) and serves all public hospitals run by universities.
9. Innovative health information system is implemented in Metropolitan West Health Service
10. There are major health inequities in Latin America and the Caribbean. A number of factors limit access to timely, highquality medical care. These include lack of human resources, infrastructure, equipment and medications
11. This scenario presents the State with major challenges in formulating strategies and policies. Decisions on incorporating information and communication technologies (ICT) must be a part of this process
12. Evidence: Peru seeks to win the war on tuberculosis with the help of digital imaging.
13. Evidence: First Meeting on ICT and Health, 7 June, Brazil
14. Evidence: The “SOS Telemedicine for Venezuela” programme
15. Evidence: Mexico, a pioneer in the field
16. Evidencia: Costa Rica: Clinical records and hand geometry
17. Electronic Medical Records at the Hospital Italiano, in Buenos Aires: Technology serving patients
18. News briefs:FluTrends, the Google tool for monitoring flu. Social media as a source of support for chronically ill patients
