Telemedicine: WHO releases resource guide to tackle global health challenges
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new resource guide to ensure the sustainable use of telemedicine beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and amongst multiple complex global health challenges, from conflict and disease outbreaks to climate change.
WHO on their website on Thursday, announced that this resource was released to help guide policy and decision makers, and implementers in designing and overseeing telemedicine implementations, especially for people living in remote areas and underserved communities.
According to the WHO, many countries have struggled, however, to ensure routine use and long-term sustainable access to telemedicine services – even in those with the most robust health systems.
“For telemedicine to have the most impact when and where it is needed, the enabling environment is critical. Investments in national policies, governance, and standards are important to have in place,” said Prof Alain Labrique, Director, Department of Digital Health and Innovation. “This Guide is not a stand-alone solution, but rather a complementary tool that works in tandem with user-centered solutions that are accessible by all, towards delivering high-quality remote care that is accountable and suitable to the context in which patients live.”
Aiming to be a key reference for WHO Member States, this new resource supplements the WHO Digital Investment Implementation Guide, which provides a systematic process for planning and implementing digital health interventions. WHO reiterated that it outlines practical steps countries can take through a process of planning, implementing, maintaining, and budgeting a telemedicine programme to deliver equitable health outcomes.
Speaking on its contribution to the development of the guide, Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and HRP (the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction) said, “Telemedicine is an important tool that expands access to critically needed sexual and reproductive health services – but we need to be mindful of the inherent inequities where access to the technology is limited or where there is the potential for harm. This Guide aims to support countries to deliver telemedicine services, while highlighting approaches to optimize and improve health for all.”
WHO has also advised that national digital health strategies underpin all telemedicine interventions and include leadership and governance, strategy and investment, infrastructure, legislation, policy and compliance, workforce, and services and applications.
WHO/S.S
