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    ARMTELEMED CONGRESS WILL GIVE AN IMPORTANT STIMULUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TELEMEDICINE AND EHEALTH IN ARMENIA - DR. GEORGI CHALTIKYAN

    Mediamax
    Aug 16, 2011
    Armenia

    The First Armenian International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth
    "ARMTELEMED: Road to the Future" will take place on October 14-16 in
    Yerevan under the auspices of International Society for Telemedicine
    and eHealth (ISfTeH) and American Telemedicine Association (ATA). The
    event is co-organized by the Armenian Association of Telemedicine
    (AATM), the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU), and the
    Union of Information Technology Enterprises of Armenia (UITE). The
    highlights of the forthcoming event and the current situation in
    telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia are presented in an interview
    with Mediamax and Itel.am by the Founding President of the Armenian
    Association of Telemedicine, Dr. Georgi Chaltikyan.

    - What are the major functions of the Armenian Association of
    Telemedicine (aaôí) and what are the association's priorities in
    developing the field of telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia?

    - aaôí is a non-governmental organization established in 2008 with a
    mission to assist to the development of telemedicine and eHealth (also
    known as Health ICT) in Armenia, to ensure wider use of Information
    and Communication Technologies in medicine and healthcare.

    eHealth is a rather broad concept describing the use of all
    electronic and digital applications to support healthcare delivery,
    administration, education and research, while the main focus of
    telemedicine is the provision of clinical care remotely, when the
    patient and the physician or two or more physicians are separated by
    a considerable distance.

    Today there are multiple telemedicine programs and networks operating
    all over the world. Highly specialized clinical care is typically
    concentrated in large metropolitan areas, while people living in
    remote especially rural communities often lack local specialist
    physicians and often need to travel long distance to see a narrow
    specialist. Telemedicine is capable of solving that problem.

    Telemedicine and eHealth applications are also critical for
    the continuous medical education and professional development of
    physicians. Consider a general practitioner working in a remote or
    isolated area of Armenia who, with the help of telemedicine tools,
    is able to consult with a specialist working in a major city in the
    country or even outside Armenia to get help in treating patients and
    also to receive latest news and updates on patients' management.

    - What kind of remote patient-doctor interaction exists today? To
    what extent can it replace the traditional clinical care?

    - Today, healthcare delivery becomes more and more dependent on
    internet and digital technologies. Here is a typical example: an ECG
    (electrocardiogram) can now easily be obtained using a special digital
    device in the comfort of patient's home and sent to the cardiologist
    via internet or other telecommunication link. The doctor can see
    the ECG trace, for example, on his/her smartphone while being on a
    business trip, on board a plane, or even on vacation, and can "consult"
    the patient or provide advice. By the way, talking about smartphones
    it should be noted that today's telemedicine is increasingly using
    mobile devices and wireless connections.

    - What the role of telemedicine might be in surgery? Is it more of
    a science fiction or a matter of remote future?

    - The surgery is the most conservative field of healthcare in
    this regard. If non-surgical care, such as medication treatment or
    diagnostic services (such as reading an X-ray film or a computed
    tomography image) can easily be provided at a distance using
    contemporary digital technologies, it is much more complicated with
    regard to a surgical procedure. Nevertheless, even in this field the
    first steps have already been done.

    We are speaking about surgical procedures performed with the help
    of special surgical robots, when the surgeon, using joystick-like
    manipulators, controls robotic "arms" holding the surgical
    instruments. Such robots are widely used today in developed countries;
    in some countries, like the USA, robotic-assisted surgeries have
    largely become a standard of treatment for some conditions, such as
    removal of the prostate for example.

    Even though the surgeon, who is operating using the robot, is in
    the same operation theater, yet is physically separated from the
    patient and controls the procedure from the manipulating console
    using the "joysticks". Hence, the same can well be achieved with the
    surgeon seating not in the same room but a thousand miles away if the
    manipulating console is linked to the robot "arms" via a high-speed
    internet connection just like a French surgeon, professor Jacques
    Marescaux from the European Institute of Telesurgery (EITS) did
    back in 2001, when he operated from New-York on a patient located
    in Strasburg. However, such cases are still considered largely
    experimental.

    - The most dramatic telemedicine experience in Armenia dates back to
    1988, when in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake American
    doctors consulted their Armenian colleagues through a satellite
    connection established by NASA (the Spacebridge project). That
    gave Armenian specialists unique experience. To what extent is that
    experience applicable today?

    - Indeed, Armenia acquired a definite telemedicine experience rather
    early, when telemedicine technologies were in infancy even in developed
    countries. Unfortunately, just as it often happens, that experience
    came as a result of tragic circumstances. It should be noted that
    telemedicine today is regarded as a powerful tool especially in the
    settings of natural or man-made calamities.

    In the years following the earthquake telemedicine in Armenia has
    not been developing to any serious extent due to many understandable
    reasons (such as social and economic breakdown, lack of financing
    and investments etc). In fact, one of the major prerequisites for the
    establishment of our association was the significant advancement of
    the Information and Communication Technologies field in the country
    in the last 10 years.

    Today, it is still premature to speak of significant developments in
    the field of telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia. There are several
    programs fueled by a group of enthusiasts. Some healthcare institutions
    have videoconferencing equipment and external (international) partners,
    who episodically consult their patients. All these are, however,
    little more than rare examples. We do not yet have sustainable regular
    telemedicine and eHealth programs or services.

    - What is AATM doing to promote systemic development of telemedicine
    and eHealth in Armenia?

    - We are trying to intensify and support the use of telemedicine
    and eHealth in the country. The association has already had first
    experience with own telemedicine programs. The first pilot project
    supported by USAID grant was conducted in 2010. Within the framework
    of the project leading specialists from Yerevan provided clinical
    consultations to patients presenting to a primary healthcare center
    in Jrashen village of Lori region (north of Armenia). The project
    was followed by a series of similar initiatives.

    Our vision is to establish a nationwide telemedicine network connecting
    all hospitals, clinics and rural out-patient primary care facilities
    throughout Armenia, giving patients and their managing physicians Æn
    opportunity to consult with specialists country-wide whenever needed.

    Another goal is the development of an Armenian eHealth portal -
    a single universal electronic interface accessible to and used by
    both patients and healthcare professionals. I am quite sure we will
    witness serious progress in the above areas in the forthcoming years.

    Our association is the national member of the International Society
    for Telemedicine and eHealth from Armenia, thus representing our
    country within that global structure. It is also worth mentioning that
    thanks to association's vast international relations and important
    collaborations built worldwide, AATM today offers its member physicians
    as well as presenting patients an opportunity to consult with leading
    specialists from around the globe, primarily in Europe and North
    America.

    - Back to the congress: who is going to participate and what will be
    the major topics of discussion?

    - "ARMTELEMED" International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth is
    going to be the first event of that format, scope and magnitude not
    only in Armenia but also in the region. The major goal of the meeting
    is to bring together in the single forum all those interested in
    telemedicine and eHealth from the domains of healthcare, Information
    and Communication Technologies as well as from the government and
    other regulatory bodies to boost development of the field in Armenia.

    The congress will feature keynote presentations by leading
    international specialists with immense experience of developing
    telemedicine and eHealth. Many of them are truly pioneers and founders
    of the field worldwide, who in their own (and other) countries followed
    the entire pathway of telemedicine development and installation of
    necessary infrastructure. Due to active international policy of AATM
    and global partnership created, these experts consented to visit
    Armenia and share their invaluable experience with the congress
    audience. It is further expected that the congress will be attended
    by more than 300 delegates.

    The highlights of three days of congress work will be widely
    disseminated among telemedicine and eHealth specialists around the
    world, making Armenia more recognizable in the field. That will also
    allow local organizations, companies and professionals involved
    or interested in the telemedicine domain to present themselves on
    the international arena. In my opinion, the event will become an
    important impetus to further development of telemedicine and eHealth
    in Armenia: it will impart new momentum to the field and facilitate
    inflow of investments.

    Subject: ARMTELEMED Congress Will Give An Important Stimulus To The
    Development Of Telemedicine And EHealth In Armenia

    ARMTELEMED CONGRESS WILL GIVE AN IMPORTANT STIMULUS TO THE DEVELOPMENT
    OF TELEMEDICINE AND EHEALTH IN ARMENIA - DR. GEORGI CHALTIKYAN

    Mediamax Aug 16, 2011 Armenia

    The First Armenian International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth
    "ARMTELEMED: Road to the Future" will take place on October 14-16 in
    Yerevan under the auspices of International Society for Telemedicine
    and eHealth (ISfTeH) and American Telemedicine Association (ATA). The
    event is co-organized by the Armenian Association of Telemedicine
    (AATM), the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU), and the
    Union of Information Technology Enterprises of Armenia (UITE). The
    highlights of the forthcoming event and the current situation in
    telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia are presented in an interview
    with Mediamax and Itel.am by the Founding President of the Armenian
    Association of Telemedicine, Dr. Georgi Chaltikyan.

    - What are the major functions of the Armenian Association of
    Telemedicine (aaôí) and what are the association's priorities in
    developing the field of telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia?

    - aaôí is a non-governmental organization established in 2008 with a
    mission to assist to the development of telemedicine and eHealth (also
    known as Health ICT) in Armenia, to ensure wider use of Information
    and Communication Technologies in medicine and healthcare.

    eHealth is a rather broad concept describing the use of all
    electronic and digital applications to support healthcare delivery,
    administration, education and research, while the main focus of
    telemedicine is the provision of clinical care remotely, when the
    patient and the physician or two or more physicians are separated by
    a considerable distance.

    Today there are multiple telemedicine programs and networks operating
    all over the world. Highly specialized clinical care is typically
    concentrated in large metropolitan areas, while people living in
    remote especially rural communities often lack local specialist
    physicians and often need to travel long distance to see a narrow
    specialist. Telemedicine is capable of solving that problem.

    Telemedicine and eHealth applications are also critical for
    the continuous medical education and professional development of
    physicians. Consider a general practitioner working in a remote or
    isolated area of Armenia who, with the help of telemedicine tools,
    is able to consult with a specialist working in a major city in the
    country or even outside Armenia to get help in treating patients and
    also to receive latest news and updates on patients' management.

    - What kind of remote patient-doctor interaction exists today? To
    what extent can it replace the traditional clinical care?

    - Today, healthcare delivery becomes more and more dependent on
    internet and digital technologies. Here is a typical example: an ECG
    (electrocardiogram) can now easily be obtained using a special digital
    device in the comfort of patient's home and sent to the cardiologist
    via internet or other telecommunication link. The doctor can see
    the ECG trace, for example, on his/her smartphone while being on a
    business trip, on board a plane, or even on vacation, and can "consult"
    the patient or provide advice. By the way, talking about smartphones
    it should be noted that today's telemedicine is increasingly using
    mobile devices and wireless connections.

    - What the role of telemedicine might be in surgery? Is it more of
    a science fiction or a matter of remote future?

    - The surgery is the most conservative field of healthcare in
    this regard. If non-surgical care, such as medication treatment or
    diagnostic services (such as reading an X-ray film or a computed
    tomography image) can easily be provided at a distance using
    contemporary digital technologies, it is much more complicated with
    regard to a surgical procedure. Nevertheless, even in this field the
    first steps have already been done.

    We are speaking about surgical procedures performed with the help
    of special surgical robots, when the surgeon, using joystick-like
    manipulators, controls robotic "arms" holding the surgical
    instruments. Such robots are widely used today in developed countries;
    in some countries, like the USA, robotic-assisted surgeries have
    largely become a standard of treatment for some conditions, such as
    removal of the prostate for example.

    Even though the surgeon, who is operating using the robot, is in
    the same operation theater, yet is physically separated from the
    patient and controls the procedure from the manipulating console
    using the "joysticks". Hence, the same can well be achieved with the
    surgeon seating not in the same room but a thousand miles away if the
    manipulating console is linked to the robot "arms" via a high-speed
    internet connection just like a French surgeon, professor Jacques
    Marescaux from the European Institute of Telesurgery (EITS) did
    back in 2001, when he operated from New-York on a patient located
    in Strasburg. However, such cases are still considered largely
    experimental.

    - The most dramatic telemedicine experience in Armenia dates back to
    1988, when in the aftermath of the disastrous earthquake American
    doctors consulted their Armenian colleagues through a satellite
    connection established by NASA (the Spacebridge project). That
    gave Armenian specialists unique experience. To what extent is that
    experience applicable today?

    - Indeed, Armenia acquired a definite telemedicine experience rather
    early, when telemedicine technologies were in infancy even in developed
    countries. Unfortunately, just as it often happens, that experience
    came as a result of tragic circumstances. It should be noted that
    telemedicine today is regarded as a powerful tool especially in the
    settings of natural or man-made calamities.

    In the years following the earthquake telemedicine in Armenia has
    not been developing to any serious extent due to many understandable
    reasons (such as social and economic breakdown, lack of financing
    and investments etc). In fact, one of the major prerequisites for the
    establishment of our association was the significant advancement of
    the Information and Communication Technologies field in the country
    in the last 10 years.

    Today, it is still premature to speak of significant developments in
    the field of telemedicine and eHealth in Armenia. There are several
    programs fueled by a group of enthusiasts. Some healthcare institutions
    have videoconferencing equipment and external (international) partners,
    who episodically consult their patients. All these are, however,
    little more than rare examples. We do not yet have sustainable regular
    telemedicine and eHealth programs or services.

    - What is AATM doing to promote systemic development of telemedicine
    and eHealth in Armenia?

    - We are trying to intensify and support the use of telemedicine
    and eHealth in the country. The association has already had first
    experience with own telemedicine programs. The first pilot project
    supported by USAID grant was conducted in 2010. Within the framework
    of the project leading specialists from Yerevan provided clinical
    consultations to patients presenting to a primary healthcare center
    in Jrashen village of Lori region (north of Armenia). The project
    was followed by a series of similar initiatives.

    Our vision is to establish a nationwide telemedicine network connecting
    all hospitals, clinics and rural out-patient primary care facilities
    throughout Armenia, giving patients and their managing physicians Æn
    opportunity to consult with specialists country-wide whenever needed.

    Another goal is the development of an Armenian eHealth portal -
    a single universal electronic interface accessible to and used by
    both patients and healthcare professionals. I am quite sure we will
    witness serious progress in the above areas in the forthcoming years.

    Our association is the national member of the International Society
    for Telemedicine and eHealth from Armenia, thus representing our
    country within that global structure. It is also worth mentioning that
    thanks to association's vast international relations and important
    collaborations built worldwide, AATM today offers its member physicians
    as well as presenting patients an opportunity to consult with leading
    specialists from around the globe, primarily in Europe and North
    America.

    - Back to the congress: who is going to participate and what will be
    the major topics of discussion?

    - "ARMTELEMED" International Congress on Telemedicine and eHealth is
    going to be the first event of that format, scope and magnitude not
    only in Armenia but also in the region. The major goal of the meeting
    is to bring together in the single forum all those interested in
    telemedicine and eHealth from the domains of healthcare, Information
    and Communication Technologies as well as from the government and
    other regulatory bodies to boost development of the field in Armenia.

    The congress will feature keynote presentations by leading
    international specialists with immense experience of developing
    telemedicine and eHealth. Many of them are truly pioneers and founders
    of the field worldwide, who in their own (and other) countries followed
    the entire pathway of telemedicine development and installation of
    necessary infrastructure. Due to active international policy of AATM
    and global partnership created, these experts consented to visit
    Armenia and share their invaluable experience with the congress
    audience. It is further expected that the congress will be attended
    by more than 300 delegates.

    The highlights of three days of congress work will be widely
    disseminated among telemedicine and eHealth specialists around the
    world, making Armenia more recognizable in the field. That will also
    allow local organizations, companies and professionals involved
    or interested in the telemedicine domain to present themselves on
    the international arena. In my opinion, the event will become an
    important impetus to further development of telemedicine and eHealth
    in Armenia: it will impart new momentum to the field and facilitate
    inflow of investments.

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