National Research and Education Networks to support Healthcare: The Brazilian Telemedicine University Network RUTE
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Date
2015-11
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Abstract
Motivation: National Research and Education Networks NRENs world wide are expanding capacities, forming Academic Telehealth Community Collaboration of health scientists, bridging Science, Technology, Innovation, Education, Assistance and Health Federal Authorities to discuss, finance and work together. The World Health Organization - WHO promotes Universal Health Coverage as a goal for equitable access to health services without pushing people to poverty. Using information and communication technology to bring healthcare to people in remote areas and to those who need health services most is one of the objectives of UHC. Problem statement: RUTE, the Telemedicine University Network from Brazil, under the NREN RNP (www.rnp.br) launched July 2015 its 118th Telemedicine Unit in University and Teaching Hospitals in all 27 states. Over the network collaboration model operates 48 Special Interest Groups in health specialties with 2 to 3 scientific videoconference sessions everyday (rute.rnp.br). RUTE is part of the Brazilian Telehealth Program (www.telessaudebrasil.org.br), coordinated by the Secretariat of Work and Health Education Management (SGTES) of the Ministry of Health, that seeks to improve the quality of the service and basic care of the Unified Health System (SUS). Approach: RUTE´s objectives are: 1. Implement infrastructure for the interconnection of faculty, university hospital and teaching units from different regions of the country, enabling the communication and collaboration between national and international educational and research institutions. 2. Improve care of populations in the most underprivileged regions without specialized medical care through the resulting benefits achieved by the exchange of specialized medical knowledge. The telehealth and telemedicine centers are equipped with cutting-edge equipment, for real-time communication, connected to high performance network infrastructure operated by the RNP. Results: Also newly composing the initiative – RUTE 2.0, started in 2011, today more than half of the federal university hospitals are managed by the Brazilian Enterprise for Hospital Services http://ebserh.mec.gov.br/. In partnership with 18 Latin American Ministries of Health through the Telehealth Regional Project from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), RUTE, was certified for best practice of telemedicine by IADB, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac). Conclusions: RNP offers advanced communication infrastructure. Healthcare, R&E has demonstrated more interest and developed into a Telemedicine University Network RUTE. Important also for its sustainability lies on the participation, coordination, integration and financing from the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation, Education, and Health. The model taken into consideration shows how an academic network manages to bring together a number of health institutions to work together to utilize information and communication technology to bring healthcare to people in remote areas and to those who need health services most, remotely manage, collaborate, educate, monitor and evaluate. RNP/RUTE´s unquestionable statement is its ICT and Health proved qualification for remote assistance, education and collaborative research.
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Keywords
Telemedicine, Telehealth, e-Health, NREN