Assessing the Information and Communication Technology Infrastructures of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in order to Implement the Telemedicine System in 2013

The wide province of Fars, due to its numerous small towns and villages in addition to its large population, needs medical health services and due to the unbalanced distribution of specialized medical health facilities and specialists, requires a logical solution in order to resolve this challenge. In case the Long-distance Telemedicine is conducted in the province, it could solve the problems related to the unbalanced distribution of health resources. This research was a descriptive type done as sectional, with the objective of assessing the information and communication technology infrastructures of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in order to implement the Telemedicine system in 2013. The study population included 20 specified centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in order to implement the teleconsultation in the Fars province, and since the study population was limited, sampling was not performed. The means of data collection was the check lists based on a collection many countries of world standards (Standards of India, United States, and Australia) and the resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods with the help of the SPSS software version 16. In studying the 20 investigated centers, 70% had the desktop PC platform, 100% had the laptop platform, and none of the centers had portable platforms. Of the investigated centers, and 14% had the clinical devices. 70% of the centers had display monitors with the maximum resolution. 75% of the centers had the leased line communication platform, 35% optic fibers, 35% GPRS communication platform. According to the present infrastructure, implementing the most preliminary levels of teleconsultation under special condition is possible, but the university is not able to provide services in the other types of telemedicine.