Teleaid -en ny form for samarbeid : en observasjonsstudie med evaluering av et telemedisinsk pilotprosjekt mellom Methodist Public Health Centre Mursan, India og Kvinneklinikken, Rikshospitalet

Teleaid –a new way of cooperation. An observation study with evaluation of a pilot project between Methodist Public Health Centre Mursan, India and Kvinneklinikken, Rikshospitalet. Background: In September 2003 a pilot project were initiated between Kvinneklinikken, Rikshospitalet and Methodist Public Health Centre Mursan, India. The intention was to try a new way of providing medical assistance to rural areas through telecommunication. Our role in this project was to visit India to see how it worked from an Indian point of view. Methods: Participant observation of the work at three public health centres in Hathras, Northern India for three weeks in January 2004. Our main focuses: birth control, delivery rutines, vaccination, sterilization and HIV/AIDS-prevention in relation to WHO standards and evaluation of the telemedical cases exchanged between Mursan and Kvinneklinikken, Rikshospitalet. Our data is based on interviews, annual reports and statistics provided by Reidun Refsdal, administrator of the clinics. We used the WHO guidelines as a standard for evaluation of our findings. Detailed study of the cases used for telemedical purposes. Conclusion: Our general view was that the clinics followed the WHO standards to a wide degree. We have suggested some possible improvements in our report. Regarding the telemedical aspect the project has shown to be a useful help in challenging medical cases. During the project there have been different technical problems, especially in the transferring of cases. DORIS, the software used for communication, is therefore replaced by a new system, Well Arena. In this way the project still can continue its development.