Experience with a Low-Cost Telemedicine System in Three Developing Countries

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Vassallo ◽  
P Swinfen ◽  
R Swinfen ◽  
R Wootton
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
First Year ◽  
Digital Cameras ◽  
Telemedicine System ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Charitable Trust ◽  
E Mail

The Swinfen Charitable Trust was established in 1998 with the aim of helping the poor, sick and disabled in the developing world. It does this by setting up simple telemedicine links based on e-mail to support doctors in isolated hospitals. The first telemedicine link was established to support the lone orthopaedic surgeon at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar, near Dhaka in Bangladesh in July 1999. An evaluation of the 27 referrals made during the first year of operation showed that the telemedical advice had been useful and cost effective. Based on the success of the Bangladesh project, the Swinfen Charitable Trust supplied digital cameras and tripods to more hospitals in other developing countries. These are Patan Hospital in Nepal (March 2000), Gizo Hospital in the Solomon Islands (March 2000), Helena Goldie Hospital on New Georgia in the Solomon Islands (September 2000), and LAMB Hospital in Bangladesh (September 2000).

Low-cost telemedicine in the developing world

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 63-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Swinfen ◽  
P Swinfen
Keyword(s):  
Solomon Islands ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Digital Cameras ◽  
Computer Viruses ◽  
Charitable Trust ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Medicolegal Issues

summary The Swinfen Charitable Trust uses digital cameras and email to provide specialist advice to doctors in developing countries. The first telemedicine link was set up in July 1999. By the end of a year there were three links to hospitals in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Solomon Islands. Initially the consultants, all of whom give their advice free of charge, were from the UK, but now are worldwide. At present there are 12 links in operation, including one on Tristan da Cunha, and two links approved and awaiting equipment. The advice given by the consultants has been found to be helpful to the referring doctors and to benefit their patients. Failures have been due to the use of obsolescent equipment, computer viruses, lack of communication with the referring hospital before setting up a link, and referring doctors not chasing up their own referrals. Problems yet to be solved include the unreliability of the Internet, certain medicolegal issues and assessing the quality of medical consultants. In future there will be the problem of managing a rapidly growing telemedicine network.

scholarly journals Development and initial validation of a cost-effective, re-usable, ultrasound-compatible suprapubic catheter insertion training simulator

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harkanwal Randhawa ◽  
Yuding Wang ◽  
Jen Hoogenes ◽  
Michael Uy ◽  
Bobby Shayegan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Content Validity ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Boot Camp ◽  
First Year ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Training Simulator ◽  
Training Tool ◽  
Technical Performance

Introduction: Suprapubic catheterization (SPC) is a fundamental skill required of urology trainees. A lack of affordable simulation models and unpredictability of bedside SPCs limit experiential learning opportunities. Our objective was to develop and initially validate a re-usable, low-cost, ultrasound (US)-compatible SPC simulator for acquiring skills that transfer to the bedside. Methods: The model was constructed using six components. Staff urologists and interventional radiologists (IRs) conducted a SPC and rated the model on three domains with multiple subcategories on a five-point Likert scale: anatomic realism; usefulness as a training tool; and global/overall reaction. Participants in our first-year urology “boot camp” received SPC training, practiced, and were evaluated via an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Staff ratings and OSCE scores determined the model’s initial face and content validity. Results: Twelve staff physicians participated in the study. The mean scores for urologists and IRs, respectively, were: anatomical realism: 4.10 and 3.70; usefulness as a training tool: 4.23 and 4.24; and overall reaction: 4.40 and 4.44. Staff strongly agreed that the model should be incorporated into the residency curriculum. Over the past four years, 25 boot camp participants scored a mean of 99.7% (±1.8) on the OSCE, with high technical performance and entrustment scores (4.8 and 4.7, respectively). The model cost $55 CAD. Conclusions: This novel, multiple-use, low-cost, easily reproducible US-compatible SPC simulator demonstrated initial face and content validity via high staff urologist and IR ratings and OSCE scores of first-year urology residents. Additional research is required for construct validation.

Experience with a Low-Cost Telemedicine System in Three Developing Countries

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 56-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Vassallo ◽  
P Swinfen ◽  
R Swinfen ◽  
R Wootton
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Telemedicine System

Telemedicine — The Way Ahead for Medicine in the Developing World

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
L E Graham ◽  
M Zimmerman ◽  
D J Vassallo ◽  
V Patterson ◽  
P Swinfen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Hospital Stay ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Digital Images ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Respiratory Medicine ◽  
The World ◽  
Charitable Trust ◽  
E Mail

An e-mail link with the facility to send high-resolution digital images is a cheap and uncomplicated telemedicine method. The Swinfen Charitable Trust helped establish such a link in Patan Hospital Kathmandu, Nepal in March 2000. Over 12 months using this link 42 telemedicine referrals were sent to specialists throughout the world. Referrals were: 36% respiratory medicine; 21% neurology, 21% dermatology; 14% cardiology; 5% nephrology; and 3% radiology — 28 had digital pictures attached, of which 96% were of high enough quality on which specialists were able to comment. Thirty-nine replies were received. The average time for a specialist reply was 2 days, and 45% were answered within 24 hours. All replies were judged by independent assessors to be helpful or very helpful for diagnosis, management and education. The assessors decided that in 50% of cases the advice if acted upon would have shortened hospital stay. This pilot study has shown that a low-cost telemedicine link is technically feasible and can be of significant benefit for diagnosis, management and education in a developing world setting.

A review on cost effective analysis of antiepileptic drugs

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 5507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uthara S.S. ◽  
Mohammed Basheer ◽  
Anil Babu A.
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Antiepileptic Drugs ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Global Burden ◽  
Patients With Epilepsy ◽  
Effective Analysis

80% of the epilepsy patients were resides in developing countries. 12 million patients with epilepsy were in India that is One-sixth of the global burden is due to epilepsy. Those diseases were treated properly there is a greater reduction in seizure and people may leads to proper life, if untreated that may become a large increase in burden. Drugs are the main treatment for epilepsy. As compared with conventional AEDs newer drugs are much expensive some newer drugs were 10 to 20 times costlier than older drugs. if those expensive drugs reduce the seizure events, improves the quality of life and with lesser ADRs then the benefit justify the higher cost of the drug. The epilepsy burden can be reduced mainly by giving epilepsy care at low cost, given the lack of expertise in the management of epilepsy in poor areas.

Rigorous Design Process for a Groundwater Pump for Low-Yield Water Wells: A Case Study

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Anderson ◽  
James Wonson ◽  
W. John Dartnall
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Design Process ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Tube Wells ◽  
Well Yield

Ground-water pumping in remote areas, such as Australian farms, was for many years traditionally done by wind pumps in order to satisfy the needs of stock. Since the 1980’s solar pumps of varying designs have become popular for pumping water from farm dams and tube wells. Wind pumps, solar pumps, engine or electric motor driven pumps and even animal/human powered pumps have a future in many remote situations in the world for stock watering, irrigation and for village water supply in developing countries. In these markets there is a wide-spread view that local manufacture of the pumps is preferable, as is well documented in the literature on village water supply in developing countries. Submersible pumps that are either of the multi-stage centrifugal class or that use the progressive cavity principle have increased in popularity in the low well yield environment. However, where well yields are extremely low the efficiency of these pumps also becomes low and oversized pumps of these kinds are often inappropriately applied. Quite often in the low yield situation, tube wells are also oversized in that they are drilled to large diameters and depths so as to provide storage in order to accommodate the water demand requirements of the user. This practice leads to unnecessary deterioration of both pump and well. Designing for low production volume manufacture presents unique challenges for the designer in attempting to design a robust, versatile but cost-effective product. The design challenges include, achievement of: - high efficiency, reliability, longevity, simplicity, versatility with a minimum parts count, and all this at a low cost. A case study is presented in this paper in which the design issues are outlined. A rigorous design process has been applied in this case study.

A novel and cost-effective sewage treatment system consisting of UASB pre-treatment and aerobic post-treatment units for developing countries

1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 189-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izarul Machdar ◽  
Hideki Harada ◽  
Akiyoshi Ohashi ◽  
Yuji Sekiguchi ◽  
Hiroyuki Okui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Cod Removal ◽  
Treatment System ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Pre Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment System

A novel sewage treatment system was proposed, which consists of a UASB anaerobic pre-treatment unit and the following DHS (downflow hanging sponge-cubes) aerobic post-treatment unit, as a low-cost and easy-maintenance process for developing countries. Over six months experiment by feeding sewage our proposed system achieved 94% of total-COD removal, 81% of soluble-COD removal, and nearly perfect SS removal and total-BOD removal at the overall HRT of 8.3 hr (7 hr in UASB and 1.3 hr in DHS unit). Moreover, the DHS reactor was capable of performing high (73–78%) nitrification. Our whole system requires neither external aeration input nor withdrawal of excess sludge.

scholarly journals A compact point-of-use water purification cartridge for household use in developing countries

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajshree A. Patil ◽  
Dilshad Ahmad ◽  
Shankar B. Kausley ◽  
Pradeep L. Balkunde ◽  
Chetan P. Malhotra
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Purification ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Effective Gravity ◽  
Point Of Use ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Gravity Driven

Simple, low-cost household interventions are known to be effective in lowering the incidence of waterborne diseases in developing countries. However, high costs along with operational and maintenance issues have prevented the successful adoption of these interventions among the affected communities. To address these limitations, a cost-effective, gravity-driven water purification cartridge has been developed by employing the synergistic disinfection action of low concentrations of silver and chlorine on bacteria and viruses. The silver and chlorine treatment components within the cartridge have been developed using inexpensive materials and integrated with a life indicator and auto-shut-off-mechanism within a compact form factor. The antibacterial as well as antiviral performance of the cartridge was tested by using ground water spiked with Escherichia coli and MS2 bacteriophage. The results show that, although individually, the silver and chlorine treatment systems were unable to inactivate the test strains, the integrated cartridge inactivates both bacteria as well as viruses up to the log reduction requirement of the USEPA guide standard for microbiological water purifiers over its designated life of 2,000 liters.

scholarly journals Experimental Study on Strength Parameters of Roofing Tiles Incorpating Pumice Powder

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (VI) ◽  
pp. 2263-2269
Author(s):  
Numair Abdul Musawwir S. J
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Rural Housing ◽  
Strength Parameters ◽  
Thermal Discomfort ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Roofing Materials ◽  
Cement Sheets

Our experimental investigation is being carried out to find out an alternative for tiles made from terracotta, because these tiles get easily cracked having less in strength. This drawback is likely motivated to conduct investigation to deliver the product by not this limitation. So, we have implemented work by using material called ‘pumice’. Naturally it will absorb the heat and emit cooling to the atmosphere. At early stage pumice powder were added in the range 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%. Conventionally available materials do not offer acceptable solutions. Prices of corrugated G.I. sheets are continuously escalating, and their use in not preferred because of thermal discomfort. Use of cement sheets is not recommended because of health hazards associated with asbestos. In India there is an acute shortage of locally available cheap roofing materials. Home-builders particularly the poor, are in dire need of cost-effective materials to build their homes with. In addition, mass rural housing programmers supported by Central and State Governments are increasingly looking at low-cost building techniques.

scholarly journals Determining the ideal prevention strategy for multidrug-resistance organisms in resource-limited countries: a cost-effectiveness analysis study

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Yufeng Yuan ◽  
Likai Lin ◽  
Xiaodong Tan ◽  
Yibin Tan
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Average Cost ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Cost Effectiveness Ratio ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Resource Limited

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the most cost-effective strategy for the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care units (ICUs) in areas with limited health resources. The study was conducted in 12 ICUs of four hospitals. The total cost for the prevention of MDROs and the secondary attack rate (SAR) of MDROs for each strategy were collected retrospectively from 2046 subjects from January to December 2017. The average cost-effectiveness ratio (CER), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and cost-effectiveness acceptability curve were calculated. Hand hygiene (HH) had the lowest total cost (2149.6 RMB) and SAR of MDROs (8.8%) while single-room isolation showed the highest cost (33 700.2 RMB) and contact isolation had the highest SAR of MDROs (31.8%). The average cost per unit infection prevention was 24 427.8 RMB, with the HH strategy followed by the environment disinfection strategy (CER = 21 314.67). HH had the highest iterative cost effect under willingness to pay less than 2000 RMB. Due to the low cost for repeatability and obvious effectiveness, we conclude that HH is the optimal strategy for MDROs infections in ICUs in developing countries. The cost-effectiveness of the four prevention strategies provides some reference for developing countries but multiple strategies remain to be examined.

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