In the context of a collaboration between Stellenbosch University (SUN) and Karolinska Institutet (KI) the project aims to facilitate the diagnosis and care of burns patients in resource poor areas, building on modern information communication technologies like camera phones. A five-year project is under development that will take place in the Western Cape Province.
The use of telemedicine in injury emergency care has emerged rather recently and it is regarded as a valuable resource for health care personnel deployed in resource poor settings. It provides several useful applications in emergency settings with a potential to reduce costs, improve care quality and outcome and provide follow-up for treatment. When using mobile phones, image capture, transmission and receipt can be done quickly without loss of image resolution, independent of major infrastructure at either end, to any location within range of a mobile phone signal. The relatively superficial and visual nature of burn injuries makes them a suitable target for mHealth applications.
[Visiting scholar: Marie Hasselberg]
