Tele-Ophthalmology Eye-Health system deployment in Kolda, Senegal

Jaume Bensenye-Health and e-Dependence Departmenti2CAT, R+D Non Profit Foundation

A. Carolina Rivas PrantteILO, Lleida Ophthalmologic Institute

From Eye-Health Project to Open Window to Senegal

Eye Health Project Open Window to Senegal Project

Tele-Ophthalmology Eye-Health system deployment in Kolda, Senegal

• Main goal is to make specialized eye health available in rural zones as in the urban zones

• Born in 2006

• Cover unattended ophthalmologic demand in the remote villages of the Pyrenees mountain range

• Deployment of a tool to make the GPs (general physicians) able to cooperate with the ILO ophthalmologists

Eye-Health Project / Introduction

Eye-Health Project / Justification

Catalan High Pyrenees description area• High mountain range• Dispersed population• Difficult access• Big distances• Lack of ophthalmologist

Catalan Health Care stressing factors• Progressive population ageing • Chronic diseases • Sedentary lifestyle

2005

2020

The introduction of telemedicine is a cost-effective solution to help the health care unsustainable economic situation

Ophthalmologic reality in KoldaAccording to the:Programme National de Lutte contre la cécité au Sénégal

Blindness prevalence = 1.4 %- 150 000 blind people - 450 000 people with serious visual disabilities

ILO NGO (Ferreruela Sanfeliu Foundation)

Eye health field improvement trough specific actions :1. Cataract surgery2. Fight against Trachoma and Trichiasis3. Children Refraction Defect Detection Program4. Set up a cooperative optic shop cooperatively managed5. Deploy the Telemedicine system based on the Eye-

Health Open Window to Senegal

*In concordance with the

National Program Against the Blindness Minister de Santé, Conseil de la Region Medicale

Flow diagram

GP in the Village

GP takes eye fundus images

GP writes a reportILO Ophthalmologists

in the city

Specialist analize

Specialist diagnose remotely

Eye-Health Project

Eye-Health Project

System components

Technical Platform & Difficulties

1. Bandwidth problem

Different Health Care Systems• Public Health Care (GPs around little villages) • Private Health Care (ILO Ophthalmologists)

2. Interoperability problems

Translation Interface

First stage (delayed until 2010)• Kolda Hospital visit to collect technical requeriments• Deployment of a Videoconference System based on

bandwith mesures [BCN - KOLDA]• Start of E-Learning process based in videoconference

Second stage • Full Eye-Health features deployed• Capacity to remotly diagnose Kolda cases from

Catalonia• Capacity to remotly diagnose Kolda countryside cases

from Kolda Hospital

Open Window to Senegal

Senegal ICT OverviewICT Regulatory Entities• DERPT is the regulator of the telecommunication sector.• Open competitive market• SONATEL is the private operator owner of the main ICT

infrastructure.

• People have Internet access in the TeleCenters• Main Hospital is connected trough SONATEL

network.• Iperf real bandwidth measurements [BCN –

KOLDA] to ensure videoconference requirements.

300 kbps TCP50000 kbps UDP

Kolda ICT Infrastructure

Tele-Ophthalmology – Benefits

Ophthalmologic care AFTER Eye-Health Project

• GPs became the patient’s guide against an ocular affection• GPs are under e-learning process

(80% of GP diagnosis coincided with the ophthalmologist)

• Practical way for eye fundus- pathology screening and treatment

• Easy access to specialized medical attention• Ophthalmologic Electronic Record• Reduce Ophthalmologic waiting lists• Public Health Care global economic savings

Conclusions

• New services and products based in the Information Society tools can improve basic services while reducing its costs.

• The Information Society and its benefits can not be applied everywhere due to the digital gap.

• The establishment of NRENs and permanent relationship between research groups increases its capacity to success in the objectives pursued.