ViduSuwa – Electronic Distant Healing: A Patient Centric Telemedicine Solution in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This paper first investigates the issues and challenges faced by patients in a developing country with regard to inequality of resource distribution and the existing eHealth infrastructure. In order to solve these issues, it introduces VIDUSUWA, a simple patient centric three phased eHealthcare strategy using an evolutionary approach building on the existing infrastructure.In phase one, the main emphasis of Vidusuwa is on setting up of an eConsultation Clinic to link the specialist in a general hospital in a city with a patient in a peripheral setting. This will consist of an eCare Clinic in a peripheral hospital, a web-based eHealth record system, m-Communication system and an e-Consultation centre with a medical specialist. The paper also looks at technologies to implement phase 2 which is eSystems Integration, and phase 3 which is Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) in a manner suitable for a developing country.