International Consultants in Medicine: A Framework for Medical Expertise and Social Telemedicine Addressing Medical Disparities

摘要

Technology can provide a means to bridge medical disparities in many parts of the world and make expert and specialized knowledge available wherever and whenever it is needed. In this paper we present iConsult, a teleconsultation and social networking environment through which physicians practicing in remote and underserved parts of the world can connect with and obtain expert advice from specialists who may be located anywhere in the world. The only requirements are a computer and access to the Internet.