Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Airlangga\n(Unair) Surabaya and Dr Soetomo General Hospital are developing\ntelecardiology services in Jayapura Regency, Papua, in collaboration\nwith Australian partners to improve early detection of heart disease and\nexpand specialist care access for remote communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cCardiovascular-related diseases in Jayapura still pose a high risk\nof mortality, often exacerbated by delayed early detection,\u201d said\ncardiologist and vascular specialist at Dr Soetomo General Hospital\/FK\nUnair and initiator of the programme, Makhyan Jibril A, in a statement\nreceived in Surabaya on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The initiative, titled \u201cDevelopment of Tele-Cardiology for Heart\nDisease Screening in Jayapura Regency, Papua,\u201d is designed to address\ngeographical challenges that hinder the distribution of specialist\nmedical personnel in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua.<\/p>\n
Fifty health workers from 22 Community Health Centres (puskesmas) and\nYowari General Hospital have been trained through six sessions combining\nonline and in-person methods using the Tele-ECHO system validated by the\nUniversity of Queensland.<\/p>\n
The health workers have been equipped with skills to operate\ntele-electrocardiogram (tele-ECG) systems and manage cardiac\nemergencies, enabling real-time remote consultations with specialist\ndoctors in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the programme is targeted for integration with the\nElectronic Medical Records (RME) system to compile population-based\ncardiovascular risk data, which can serve as a basis for health policy\ndecisions.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur communities in Papua often have to undertake arduous and lengthy\njourneys across extremely difficult terrain just to reach referral\nhospital facilities,\u201d said the Head of Medical Services at the Jayapura\nRegency Health Office, Adi Kurniawan.<\/p>\n
Adi noted that the close collaboration between specialists at Dr\nSoetomo General Hospital\/FK Unair, the University of Queensland, and the\nJayapura Regency Health Office has successfully bridged this gap.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith early detection capabilities and remote consultations, spatial\nbarriers can be reduced. Cardiac triage handling can be decided\nimmediately from our puskesmas. This is a major leap forward for\nequitable specialist services in Papua,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The successful implementation of this technology is also supported by\ndigital infrastructure readiness, with 71 percent of primary health\nfacilities in Jayapura Regency having good to excellent internet\nconnectivity.<\/p>\n
Technology acceptance is further strengthened by a Technology\nAcceptance Model (TAM) study published in the Cardiovascular and\nCardiometabolic Journal (CCJ), showing that 86 percent of health workers\nare committed to routinely using the tele-ECG screening system.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fk-unair-soetomo-develops-telecardiology-in-jayapura-papua-1774958106", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }