Armenian Association of Telemedicine (AATM) is pleased to announce the launch of its new telemedicine project aimed to establish a fully functional telemedicine connection between a primary health care facility in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, and AATM central office, Yerevan, Armenia. This project, endorsed by the Government of NKR and conducted in association with the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) of Armenia and telemedicine R&D company Symotec LLC, is the second initiative of this kind, after establishment and successful exploitation of the demonstrational telemedicine model within the framework of USAID-funded “Capacity Building of the Armenian Association of Telemedicine to Result in Improved Primary Health Care Services in Armenia” project in April-June, 2010.
The telemedicine system will consist of two PC-based stations (the “referral station” at a primary care unit in Stepanakert, and the “consult station” at the AATM’s central office in downtown Yerevan), equipped with simple video-conferencing devices and commercially available medical peripherals, connected via high-speed internet (fiber-optic and ViMax) providing 5/2 Mbps of bandwidth. The referral site will be equipped with a set of medical digital devices, including: 5-parameter vital sign monitor (BP, HR, SaO2, 3-lead ECG, and body temperature); digital stethoscope with Bluetooth connectivity (3M™ Littmann®) and tele-auscultation software (Zargis Cardioscan™); standard 10-MP, 10-optical zoom digital still camera; an ultrasound device with ultrasound digitizing and sharing software (Symotec), and a digital ophthalmoscope. For telemedicine encounter management the system will utilize a dedicated server and database capabilities provided by the organizers.
The system will operate throughout one working week, from November, 29 to December 3, 2010. During this five-day program direct tele-consultations will be available in cardiology, dermatology, ophtalmology, ultrasonography, and patients presenting to the referral site will be examined and consulted by leading specialists of Armenia.
This time, the pilot project is supposed to become the first step in a larger initiative of telehealth network establishment in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is planned to commence next year.
