Assessing the Possibility of Telemedicine in Accidents; a Cross-Sectional Study

In the last 2 decades millions of people all over the world have lost their lives or encountered severe disabilities due to accidents and disasters. In this regard, telemedicine is one of the most recent advances in information technology andcommunication, a change that be useful in providing quality healthcare for people, especially in times of crisis, when optimum use of time is very important. Therefore, this study was performed with the aim of assessing telemedicine technology in accidents in teaching hospitals of Kerman. The present study was a cross-sectional one performed in 2018. The participants consisted of the chairmen, emergency medicine physicians, and information technology staff of selected teaching hospitals in Kerman and census method was used for their inclusion. The tool used for data gathering was a questionnaire designed by the researcher, validity and reliability of which was approved. SPSS version 21 was used for data analysis. The results of the presentstudy showed that the studied centers had proper infrastructures for providing telemedicine services in accidents. All the chairmen of the centers supported this program but in the planned strategic program no plans were made regarding telemedicine. From the viewpoint of most participants in this study, the obstacles to execution of telemedicine such as insufficient technical staff, repayment and insurance problems were only of trivial importance. Applying telemedicine in management of disasters plays a vital role in preserving and saving patients’ lives. Based on the findings of the present study, the importance of healthcare centers becoming equipped with technical infrastructure of telemedicine in accidents and familiarized with methods of carrying out and providing these services is emphasized.