The FINANCIAL — Cisco on October 5 announced the implementation of the second phase of a telemedicine pilot project, led by the Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan Pediatric Hospital, Cisco and Telefónica, in cooperation with Castro Rendón Hospital. This multiphase project is geared to offering remote health care support and services in different provinces of the Argentine Republic.
"The telemedecine pilot, enabled by Cisco® collaborative technologies such as Cisco TelePresenceTM and Cisco Unified Communications, will enhance doctor–patient interactions over a distance; support diagnoses in complex cases in remote and budget-constrained hospitals; optimize the hospital's resources; and underpin a more collaborative process in terms of procedures, prevention programs and medical treatment, all within a highly secure and effective environment. The telemedicine pilot project, based on the concept of Connected Health by the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), promises to be an innovative way of optimizing and elevating the telemedicine experience for health professionals and patients in Argentina and the rest of Latin America," Cisco says.
Highlights/ Key Facts:
This initiative is part of the Garrahan Hospital's telemedecine Reference and Counter-reference Program, which has been taking place for more than 12 years in partnership with the Garrahan Foundation. The program is managed by the Communications at a Distance Office, which delivers remote support for diagnosis via e-mail, fax and telephone to more than 70 hospitals in Argentina.
The telemedecine pilot project with Cisco includes three phases: The first phase within the Garrahan Hospital was designed to test the Cisco TelePresence technology and provide training to doctors. The second phase involves connecting the Garrahan Hospital and Castro Rendón Hospital, located about 1,400 kilometers away in the Neuquen province in the Argentinean Patagonia, through Telefonica's network. The last phase will provide coverage to the main medical centers that participate in the Communications at a Distance program of Garrahan Hospital, including the most southern area of the country.
Telefónica is providing connectivity through its national network for the Garrahan Hospital and Castro Rendón Hospital in Nequén.
The program is focused on two main goals: One is that patients from any part of the country will be able to obtain excellent medical care with the possibility of having consultations and appropriate referrals. And the other one is guaranteeing access to medical care from the place of residency, in order to be able to continue with control and necessary follow-ups to receive the specialized care for pathologies that require immediate or short-term treatment.
Telefónica is providing the connectivity for the project through its national network.
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