Designing a cloud-based multinational telemedicine ecosystem for developing countries

摘要

Cloud computing represents new way of delivering organization information technology: anyone with a suitable Internet connection and a standard browser can access an application in a cloud. We have analysed the exploitation of cloud computing on e-health ecosystems in developing countries, which have very high patients-per-doctor ratios. Especially, we have designed a cloud-based multinational telemedicine consultation ecosystem, which may have consulting physicians in both developing and industrialized countries. In addition, the cloud as well as the patients' health documentation, such as personal health records, may locate anywhere in the Internet. Such a global architecture changes the traditional e-health ecosystems designed for developing countries: governance is no more nationwide, development aid may include medical consultation through the system, and stakeholders may include any healthcare provider having the ability for consultation, such as university hospitals in industrialized countries. In this paper, we show that such a multinational cloud-based telemedicine consultation system can be implemented from a technology point of view. We also shortly discuss the effects of our proposed ecosystem on governance policies, legislation, financing, training and on the mind-set of the involved healthcare personnel.