Information and Communication Technology

1.1.5 ICTs for Health 

Delivering health care with ICTs enables health care professionals and institutions to address the critical medical needs of rural communities, especially those in remote locations and those that lack qualified medical personnel and services. ICTs are being used in many developing countries and communities to facilitate remote consultations, diagnosis and treatment. Basic data is collected and conveyed over the Internet from primary health centres and doctors, to medical specialists who analyse the data and respond with basic diagnostic results and, in some cases, prescriptions, thus sparing patients from having to make an arduous journey to a medical facility in the city. Also, a number of countries (especially in Africa) have invested in ICTs to improve the administrative efficiency of their public health system through the streamlining of medical procurement or the creation of patient history databases.