FK Unair-Soetomo Develops Telecardiology in Jayapura, Papua
Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Airlangga (Unair) Surabaya and Dr Soetomo General Hospital are developing telecardiology services in Jayapura Regency, Papua, in collaboration with Australian partners to improve early detection of heart disease and expand specialist care access for remote communities.
“Cardiovascular-related diseases in Jayapura still pose a high risk of mortality, often exacerbated by delayed early detection,” said cardiologist and vascular specialist at Dr Soetomo General Hospital/FK Unair and initiator of the programme, Makhyan Jibril A, in a statement received in Surabaya on Tuesday.
The initiative, titled “Development of Tele-Cardiology for Heart Disease Screening in Jayapura Regency, Papua,” is designed to address geographical challenges that hinder the distribution of specialist medical personnel in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua.
Fifty health workers from 22 Community Health Centres (puskesmas) and Yowari General Hospital have been trained through six sessions combining online and in-person methods using the Tele-ECHO system validated by the University of Queensland.
The health workers have been equipped with skills to operate tele-electrocardiogram (tele-ECG) systems and manage cardiac emergencies, enabling real-time remote consultations with specialist doctors in Surabaya.
Additionally, the programme is targeted for integration with the Electronic Medical Records (RME) system to compile population-based cardiovascular risk data, which can serve as a basis for health policy decisions.
“Our communities in Papua often have to undertake arduous and lengthy journeys across extremely difficult terrain just to reach referral hospital facilities,” said the Head of Medical Services at the Jayapura Regency Health Office, Adi Kurniawan.
Adi noted that the close collaboration between specialists at Dr Soetomo General Hospital/FK Unair, the University of Queensland, and the Jayapura Regency Health Office has successfully bridged this gap.
“With early detection capabilities and remote consultations, spatial barriers can be reduced. Cardiac triage handling can be decided immediately from our puskesmas. This is a major leap forward for equitable specialist services in Papua,” he said.
The successful implementation of this technology is also supported by digital infrastructure readiness, with 71 percent of primary health facilities in Jayapura Regency having good to excellent internet connectivity.
Technology acceptance is further strengthened by a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) study published in the Cardiovascular and Cardiometabolic Journal (CCJ), showing that 86 percent of health workers are committed to routinely using the tele-ECG screening system.