JAMAICA | Caribbean Telemedicine Convention to be held in MoBay August 18 to 20

MONTEGO BAY,  August 14, 2023 - The International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH), will host the Caribbean’s first digital health conference, ‘Telehealth: Caribbean Connected’ at the Iberostar Grand Rose Hall Hotel, Montego Bay, St James.

The conference is slated for three days, August 18 to 20, 2023, at the Iberostar Grand Rose Hall Hotel, Montego Bay, St James.

It is expected to provide insights into digital health best practices, success-driven business models, and effective strategies for healthcare privacy and accessibility.

The upcoming event in Jamaica, is the first of its kind in Jamaica and in the Caribbean with implications for healthcare workers and the public alike.

The opening day of the weekend event is one for meeting and greeting with the main presentations on Saturday and Sunday.

Driven by its mission to increase the benefits of digital health around the globe, the International Society for Telemedicine and eHealth (ISfTeH ) - www.isfteh.org - has been a global resource for facilitating the dissemination of information, expertise and experience in the digital health space for over 26 years.

Digital health solutions including Telemedicine and Telehealth are currently being implemented globally into current healthcare systems as a way to improve health outcomes and improve access to care.

President of the ISfTeH, Dr Michele Griffith says “In this post-pandemic world, the ISfTeH is playing a   pivotal role in facilitating the connections and networking required to achieve sustainable integration of digital health into the global healthcare ecosystem to expand access to care and improve health outcomes.” 

The COVID pandemic highlighted the importance of access to Telehealth for healthcare needs. When doctors’ offices closed to in person appointments , many offices and hospitals around the world used telemedicine ( video visits and remote monitoring) to treat patients from a distance and avoid gaps in care.

Often, if you don’t see your doctor within a certain time frame, you can’t get a refill on medication and your hypertension/high blood pressure and/or diabetes can be uncontrolled as a consequence. 

Video visits allow patients to see their doctor from a distance so if you have a sudden conflict and can’t make it in person or travel a distance, a video visit allows for you to be still seen, evaluated and properly treated with a refill. Visits (also other family members) no longer have to be cancelled as ‘you can still be seen at home’.

It helps the average household – saving time, the cost of travel and the possible reduction of actual visits to the doctor (unless for particular physical exams and tests). it is estimated that 75-80% of in-person doctor visits can be done from a distance – with the same information gathered and treatment prescribed….and prescriptions also being sent electronically in saving time and travel.

Digital health is also being used to educate women about prenatal care and warning signs in pregnancy to address the higher rates of maternal mortality related to prenatal and postpartum period.

Jamaica holds pride of place in releasing standards for practicing telemedicine - and as many doctors as possible need to know about these standards in our quest to improve health care. And patients should ask for digital literacy from their doctors to improve their overall care and access to care. 

Telemedicine is being used to treat diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, acute conditions like allergies, cold, sinusitis , asthma flares; mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and ADD; and preventive care like weight management and healthy lifestyle counseling.

Telehealth: Caribbean Connected has assembled an array of stakeholders including international and regional health officials, CEOs, healthcare executives, physicians, researchers, healthcare professionals and community health organisations. It represents a singular platform for all invested in healthcare to intersect, engage and create synergies.

These include senior global executive of HP (formerly Hewlett Packard) Michael Castorino; president of AMD Global Telemedicine, Eric Bacon;minister of health of Guyana, Dr Frank Anthony; and CEO and founder of Vsee, Milton Chen.

Local leaders and stakeholders include CEO of The University Hospital of the West Indies Fitzgerald Mitchell; dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI Mona, Dr Minerva Thames; CEO Novamed and interim CEO of Medical Associates Hospital, Dr David Walcott; and senior medical officer at May Pen Hospital, Dr Bradley Edwards. 

Persons interested in attending the conference are invited to check out the following links for  conference information:

https://whova.com/web/TKntK0SlUuNZiP2sxSr82IjGDP0-OE0msrxZZVIMh3Y=/

The following is the  link to register: https://whova.com/portal/registration/teleh_202210/