ABSTRACT
Change is inescapable. For the rural and remote population the world over, changes to society's view of doctors, and to doctors' view of their role and place in society have lead to a decline in the number of rural practitioners. This personal view of change, and the impact of technology on change, comes from the Grampian area of Scotland, where the traditional remote community of villagers, school, doctor, bank and church is in rapid decline. In response to the steady reduction in medical services to remote areas, a telemedicine booth (a site where a variety of technologies can be brought together) has been proposed to support generic health workers provide acceptable and effective care to isolated patients. Not only will the technology enable patient consultation with a distant physician, if it is developed in partnership with a commercial firm, it also offers the possibility of an 'electronic community' where medical care and other social or commercial services may be delivered in tandem, at a distance. This idea, that addresses the needs of remote populations and their health workers the world over, was presented to the 5th WONCA World Conference on Rural Health in Melbourne, Australia in 2001 by the author, a medical practitioner and health administrator from Grampian, Scotland.
