Teledentistry in the Malaysian Context: Are We There Yet?

ABSTRACT@#Teledentistry has been proven to have the potential in addressing the gap in accessing oral health care worldwide. Nevertheless, more information is needed to support evidence-based teledentistry practice in Malaysia. The article aims to review teledentistry in view of implementing it to be a common practice in Malaysia. The authors describe teledentistry application worldwide, as well as its uses in the field of service and education. The article summarises the needs of teledentistry in South East Asia, as well as the ethical perspectives and legal practices. In addition, the article also reviews the opportunities arising from practicing teledentistry, including during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Following review, teledentistry seems to be a promising path as it could offer solutions to shortages in the workforce, high demand for treatment needs and unequal service distribution due to lack of accessibility in rural areas in Malaysia. Furthermore, teledentistry can extend care to underserved patients and provide opportunities to supplement teaching in dental education. The authors provide recommendations to overcome challenges to ensure a sustainable teledentistry. Incorporating teledentistry into practice in Malaysia is achievable but proper guidelines are required.

Innovación tecnológica en servicios diagnósticos públicos del Paraguay / Technological innovations in public diagnostic services of Paraguay

A través de innovaciones tecnológicas basadas enlas tecnologías de la información y comunicación(TIC) pueden desarrollarse sistemas de telediagnósticoventajosos para mejorar la atención de lasalud de poblaciones remotas que no tienen accesoa los médicos especialistas. Este estudio realizadopor la Unidad de Telemedicina del Ministeriode Salud Pública y Bienestar Social (MSPBS) encolaboración con el Dpto. de Ingeniería Biomédicae Imágenes del Instituto de Investigaciones enCiencias de la Salud de la Universidad Nacional deAsunción (IICS-UNA) y la Universidad del PaísVasco (UPV/EHU) sirvió para evaluar la utilidadde un sistema de telediagnóstico en la salud pú-blica. Fueron analizados los resultados obtenidospor el sistema de telediagnóstico de 54 hospitalesregionales, distritales, especializados y centros desalud del MSPBS. Fueron realizados 182.406 diagnósticosremotos de enero del 2014 a noviembrede 2016 a través del sistema. Del total, el 37,32% (68.085) correspondieron a estudios de tomografía,62,00 % (113.059) a electrocardiografía(ECG), 0,68 % (1243) a electroencefalografía(EEG) y 0,01 % (19) a ecografía. Se observó unadiferencia importante en el coste de diagnóstico remotoen relación al diagnóstico “cara a cara”, enel análisis se incorporaron los costos de implantacióny mantenimiento de la TIC para el diagnósticoremoto y los costos de transporte, alimentación yoportunidad para el diagnóstico “cara a cara”. Lareducción del coste a través del diagnóstico remoto supone un beneficio importante para cada ciudadanodel interior del país toda vez que el costepromedio de diagnóstico remoto para cada hospitalsea igual o inferior al coste total del diagnósticocara a cara...

Through based on information and communicationtechnologies (ICT), advantageous telediagnosticsystems can be developed to improve the healthcare of remote populations that do not have accessto specialist doctors. This study was carried outby the Telemedicine Unit of the Ministry of PublicHealth and Social Welfare (MSPBS – acronym inspanish) in collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Imaging ofthe Institute of Research in Health Sciences of theNational University of Asunción (IICS-UNA acronymin spanish) and the University of the BasqueCountry (UPV / EHU acronym in spanish) servedto evaluate the utility of a telediagnostic system inpublic health. The results obtained by the telediagnosticsystem of 54 regional, district, specializedhospitals and health centers of the MoH (MSPBS)were analyzed. A total of 18.406 remote diagnoseswere performed from January 2014 to November2016 through the system. Of the total, 37.32%(68,085) corresponded to tomography studies(CT), 62.00% (113.059) to electrocardiography(ECG), 0.68% (1243) to electroencephalography(EEG) and 0.01% (19) to ultrasound. A significantdifference was observed in the cost of remote diagnosisin relation to the “face-to-face” diagnosis,in the analysis the costs of implementation andmaintenance of the ICT for the remote diagnosisand transport, feeding and opportunity costs forthe diagnosis “face to face” diagnosis,in the analysis the costs of implementation andmaintenance of the ICT for the remote diagnosisand transport, feeding and opportunity costs forthe diagnosis “face to face” were incorporatedinto the analysis. Reducing costs through remotediagnosis is an important benefit for every citizenof the interior of the country, since the average costof remote diagnosis for each hospital is equal toor less than the total cost of face-to-face diagnosis...