Malaysia’s TeleConsultation Project
posted in - Nation, - Palmdoc, - Technology |Shan has emailed to let us know that Malaysia’s TeleHealth initiative is very much alive. They have a website which explains about the TeleConsultation project. In principle, technology such as this, can help reach out to under-served areas for example rural-based doctors can consult specialists in bigger cities. In practice though there are enormous hurdles in implementing projects such as this, not only considering the infrastructure but also availability of human resources who are capable of carrying this out.
In our doctors’ forums, GPs quipped they are already carrying out TeleConsultation – using the good old telephone! I for one would be glad for simple things like people checking and replying their emails promptly, let alone real-time video conferencing and teleconsultation. When it comes to broadband, I think we have a long way to go, and perhaps we are even lagging behind our Asian neighbours. I remain somewhat skeptical how well Teleconsultation will perform given these constraints but I sincerely wish the project success, lest it turns out to be another waste of taxpayers’ money like the previous TeleMedicine debacle.
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July 22nd, 2010 at 6:18 pm
It is a total waste of money. They can’t even do the conferencing properly in some hospital. The usage is so poor. The turnover of manpower especially the medical officer is so high. Each time a new medical staff arrive, money need to be spent to train the new staff. Eventually nobody bother to use it at all. The simple combination of handphone, video call, MMS for sending picture and fax machine will be sufficient. Best of all the current smart phone carries all these functions and way much cheaper compare to those expensive systems.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Poor Doctor, I agree to disagree with you.
“The simple combination of handphone, video call, MMS for sending picture and fax machine will be sufficient. Best of all the current smart phone carries all these functions and way much cheaper compare to those expensive systems. ”
Handphone– who pays for the charges? Any storage of Audio conversation, How good is your hp signal in the Hospitals? I would not like my learned colleagues giving my history over the phone within ear shot distance from others.
MMS? —-> is your hp resolution and the others resolution the same/of enough capacity there there is no loss of clarity during transmission? Have we actually consulted our patients about the confidentiality issues when we Fax, call, MMS? How do you store and retrive the images at a later date?
Turnover of medical staff—-> when the nurses/healthcare workers leave a workstation does the healthcare delivery really “stop” —> Money needed to train new staff?? —-> as I know the younger generation of Doctors/Healthcare personnel are more IT savvy than those of my generation.
It is basic “touch screen” process, In am sure the National Clinical Advisers would have known better than to waste the Rakyat’s money, when they asked for this extension of services.
What evidence does one have to justify simplistic (and dismissive) statement of “Total waste of money”.
To answer your question on poor usage please surf this site:
http://tc.moh.gov.my/mobile-bb/ByDiscipline.aspx
Just my 2 sen comments.
August 1st, 2010 at 10:37 pm
the TC is handle by the same WorldCare Health (M) Sdn Bhd ? the old gajah putih TC was also handle by this company!
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:44 pm
“old gajah putih” —-> I beg for your precise definition or if possible the problems you personally faced using TC.
Some of the questions I would like to ask you Sir:
1.Do you have any quantitative benchmarks, to disapprove the usefulness of its earlier implementation.
(I will then get you the information and the name contact of the named persons who you can personally evaluate on your own). This is on condition you give me your email address, need not fear spam etc etc as you can always hit the spam button to stop further emails from persons you do not want to hear from.
I will certainly give you my gmail address.
2. Have you personally sent or done TC in the past?
3. Have you personally used or send information in the present system?
Declaration: I do NOT receive any payment from any Health IT vendor. I also do not have any financial interest in the present vendor or past vendors.