Access to Healthcare via Telehealth: Experiences from the Pacific
AbstractInformation and communication technologies (ICT) have been fundamental in the evolution of the myriad of processes broadly encapsulated under the rubric of globalization. This article looks at how ICT developments have been applied to the provision of healthcare in remoter parts of the world, especially the Pacific region. This discussion includes a brief overview of how Internet infrastructure and connectivity have spread across the region. This overview, in turn, involves a discussion of the use of, and potential for, elements of telehealth and telemedicine relevant to Pacific island communities. Both the micro and macro aspects of this topic are considered. These aspects relate to the individual level of patient care within these communities, the manner in which broader influences within the global political economy can affect both the type of illness and disease requiring treatment, and also the level of healthcare available.