End user support for telemedicine oncology care in sub Saharan Africa

Sigu, L.; Achieng, E.; Asirwa, C.; Kitur, G.

Purpose: Health Information Technology has hugely improved patient healthcare with fast and simple information access and communication. Telemedicine uses telecommunications technology as a tool to deliver health care to populations with limited access to care. International Cancer Institute (ICI) number one goal is to provide end-to-end solutions for optimization of care on patients' journey in sub-Saharan Africa. Supporting the end-user clearly shows there is a lot going on “under the skin” in healthcare Information technology (IT) to bring information access to life and patients closer to the oncology experts. Methods: In 2020, ICI IT team provided end-user support in bi-weekly multidisciplinary oncology -tumour boards with specialists from Africa and the world. It also provided support in Provider-to-provider tele-consults for patients in 10 partner counties in Kenya. The IT team also provided online support to healthcare providers to access online oncology preceptorships/training and webinars in different aspects of the cancer control continuum. Result: The IT team was able to support over 80 Multidisciplinary tumor boards, ensuring a team-based care approach to delivering care. Provider-to-provider tele-oncology ensured a platform to support interprofessional care and mentorship to non-specialists in remote sites. It has also provided one on one county patient consultations and hence ensured delivery of cancer services in 10 county government clinics & 8 private health facilities. Over 300 patient consults have been completed. Online platforms have ensured healthcare provider training despite COVID 19 restrictions;ICI has successfully trained over 1000 health care providers using eLearning and online platforms. Sample output to test PDF Combine only Conclusion IT support has successfully provided assistance to physicians, healthcare providers, and patients with technical & non-technical support demonstrating the potential of delivering specialized oncology consultations and improved access to information in primary care settings with limited resources.