GHTM

Global Health and Tropical Medicine

  • GHTM
    • Vision
    • Mission
    • Governance
    • Scientific Advisory Board
  • News
    • Outreach
    • Events
      • GHTM Sessions
      • Workshops
    • Articles
    • Jobs
  • Research
    • Cross-cutting issues
      • Global Pathogen Dispersion and Population Mobility
      • Drug Discovery and Drug Resistance
      • Diagnostics
      • Public Health Information
      • Fair Research Partnerships
    • Research Groups
      • PPS – Population health, policies and services
      • THOP – TB, HIV and opportunistic diseases and pathogens
      • VBD – Vector borne diseases and pathogens
      • IHC – Individual health care
    • Research in numbers
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
    • Projects
      • Ongoing Projects
    • Members
      • Population health, policies and services
        • PPS PhD members
        • PPS non PhD members
      • TB, HIV and opportunistic diseases and pathogens
        • THOP PhD members
        • THOP non PhD members
      • Vector-borne diseases and pathogens
        • VBD PhD members
        • VBD non PhD members
      • Individual Health Care
        • IHC PhD members
        • IHC non PhD members
      • Technical / administrative support
  • Publications
  • Education
    • Master Theses
    • PhD Theses
  • Services
Home / Publicações / Leveraging technology to reach global health: The case of telemedicine in São Tomé and Príncipe health system

Leveraging technology to reach global health: The case of telemedicine in São Tomé and Príncipe health system

  • Autores: Cátia Gonçalves, Anicolette da Mata, Luís Velez Lapão
  • Ano de Publicação: 2021
  • Journal: Health Policy and Technology, 10(3), art 100548
  • Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2021.100548

HIGHLIGHTS

• Telemedicine is contributing to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare in a LMIC.
• Global health: 10 years cooperate with Portugal has helped STP developing its service.
• Telemedicine used in the country had an impact on 14 medical specialities.
• Momentum´s framework was used to assess telemedicine’s critical success factors.
• The challenge is the transition for full appropriation by STP’s ministry of health.

ABSTRACT

‘Background:’

Many African healthcare systems are seeking innovative solutions to improve access to specialized care. Accordingly, Sao Tome and Principe (STP) has adopted telemedicine to overcome the shortage of healthcare professionals, since 2011, and to support daily connections with Portuguese specialists, through a teleconsultation platform. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the telemedicine service development, evolution, and impact in global health in the context of a low and middle-income country (LMIC).

‘Methods:’

A case study approach was used and combined with the Momentum framework’s critical success factors to successfully launch telemedicine services analysis, in order to help understand implementation and scale-up processes, as well as the role of strategic partnership in leveraging healthcare services with technology.

‘Results:’

From 2011 to 2019, the telemedicine service in STP performed a total of 4,966, real-time teleconsultations, 137,976 exams, and clinical files introduced in the telemedicine platform. At present, fourteen medical specialities are providing remote access to care from Portugal. The most frequent specialties were teleradiology (72%), teleophthalmology (13%), teleotorhinolaryngology (9%), and telepediatric (4%). Moreover, behind this platform local human resources were trained to perform teleconsultations with autonomy. Additionally, the Marquês Valle Flor Institute’s leadership has been a successful factor.

‘Conclusion:’

These results suggest a consistent evolution of the service established through the system’s integration into the daily routine and with the Portuguese health service. This sustainable telemedicine service is therefore an excellent example of the contribution that information technologies can make to LMIC, especially in the context of universal healthcare coverage.

 

KEYWORDS

Telemedicine; Sao tome and principe; Global health; Implementation science.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Events

PhD student from GHTM attended the India|EMBO Lecture Course

Ronise Silva, a PhD student under the Tropical Diseases and Global Health program at the Institute … [Read More...]

Registration for “Python applied to Biomedical Sciences” course is open!

GHTM informs that registration for the introduction course on Python programming language is … [Read More...]

BIOTROP, the biobank of GHTM-IHMT-NOVA, represented at the inauguration of the European headquarters of MIRRI-ERIC

  The Coordinator of the Biotropical Resources biobank (BIOTROP), Ana Paula Arez, and the … [Read More...]

Ciara O’Sullivan visited GHTM-IHMT and strengthened international relationship

  As part of the RESMALDETECT Exploratory Project, the GHTM-IHMT received a visit from Ciara … [Read More...]

Call for PhD Studentships

The Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), through … [Read More...]

IHMT | GHTM – APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!

IHMT | GHTM - Applications are open for three research vacancies:   One position - PhD … [Read More...]

About GHTM

GHTM is a R&D Center that brings together researchers from IHMT with a track record in Tropical Medicine and International/Global Health. It aims at strengthening Portugal's role as a leading partner in the development and implementation of a global health research agenda. Our evidence-based interventions contribute to the promotion of equity in health and to improve the health of populations.

Contacts

Rua da Junqueira, 100
1349-008 Lisboa
Portugal
+351 213 652 600
+351 213 632 105

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Subscribe Newsletter

  • How to get to GHTM/IHMT
  • GHTM Sessions
  • Research Groups
  • Cross-cutting issues
© Copyright 2023 IHMT-UNL Todos os Direitos Reservados.
  • Universidade Nova de Lisboa
  • Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

    Project UID/Multi/04413/2013