PMID- 16149892
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20051025
LR  - 20061013
IS  - 1530-5627 (Print)
IS  - 1530-5627 (Linking)
VI  - 11
IP  - 4
DP  - 2005 Aug
TI  - Rural telemedicine: lessons from Alaska for developing regions.
PG  - 460-7
AB  - Alaska shares many characteristics with other rural and remote regions of the 
      Asia-Pacific, including a small population spread over a large area, lack of 
      roads linking villages to hospitals, a significant indigenous population, and a 
      shortage of doctors in rural areas. Communication with village health aides was 
      originally by high frequency (HF) radio. Satellites brought reliable voice 
      communication in the 1970s. Alaska has now introduced the first permanent upgrade 
      to the voice satellite system, known as the Alaska Federal Health Care Access 
      Network (AFHCAN). This satellite-based system is now the world's most extensive 
      telemedicine network, linking 248 sites, including 158 village health centers. 
      This paper examines the approach used to design the network, and includes 
      preliminary findings on utilization of the network and associated cost-savings. 
      It also discusses the U.S. Universal Service Fund subsidy for rural health care 
      facilities. It concludes with lessons learned that could be applicable for other 
      remote and isolated areas and developing regions.
FAU - Hudson, Heather E
AU  - Hudson HE
AD  - Telecommunications Management and Policy Program, University of San Francisco, CA 
      94117, USA. hudson@usfca.edu.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - United States
TA  - Telemed J E Health
JT  - Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American 
      Telemedicine Association
JID - 100959949
SB  - IM
MH  - Alaska
MH  - Health Services Accessibility
MH  - *Rural Population
MH  - Telemedicine/*organization & administration
EDAT- 2005/09/10 09:00
MHDA- 2005/10/26 09:00
CRDT- 2005/09/10 09:00
PHST- 2005/09/10 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/10/26 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2005/09/10 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1089/tmj.2005.11.460 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Telemed J E Health. 2005 Aug;11(4):460-7. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2005.11.460.