Title: A service model for improving healthcare delivery in rural developing communities

Authors: Ronald J. Leach; Todd Shurn; Legand L. Burge; Peter A. Keiller; John Trimble

Addresses: Department of Systems and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA. ' Department of Systems and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA. ' Department of Systems and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA. ' Department of Systems and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA. ' Department of Systems and Computer Science, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

Abstract: The infrastructure needed in developing countries, especially in rural areas, often makes providing state-of-the-art healthcare cost prohibitive. We describe a highly asynchronous service model for healthcare delivery that is inexpensive, at least compared to the usual implementation of telemedicine, and involves technical service, public health, training and political aspects. The model is incremental, and will provide improved service even though at the initial stages it is not likely to be fully implemented. Our proposed service model provides relatively comprehensive, but not universal, healthcare coverage, and this paper discusses the service model’s economic and technical limitations.

Keywords: telemedicine; medical informatics; asynchronous transmission; software as a service; under-served communities; name matching; service models; healthcare delivery; rural communities; developing countries; rural areas; technical services; public health; training; politics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEM.2012.043947

International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 2012 Vol.4 No.1, pp.75 - 92

Published online: 15 Nov 2014 *

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