Telemedecine the the Context of COVID-19 in Ecuador

Abstract

The improvement in the delivery of healthcare services in geographically remote and rural areas is one of the most promising and clearly demonstrated applications of information and communication technology (ICT) in sustainable development. ICT provides considerable benefits and capabilities when applied to disease prevention and response efforts during epidemics and pandemics. The expansion of the COVID-19 outbreak that began in Wuhan, China alerted all the countries of the world from the beginning of 2020 and reached Latin America in mid-February 2020. In this chapter, VERIS, an Ecuadorian successful practice of telemedicine during the COVID-19 times, is presented. VERIS allows remote consultation with a certified doctor, following the WHO protocol, and other relevant services provided also remotely. The VERIS experience is particularly relevant during the present COVID-19 pandemic because it eliminates the risks of contagion deriving from visiting hospitals in person and could be particularly useful for emerging economies with practical implications for mature ones.