KEY-05: Limitations for the implementation of Telemedicine and Telehealth Projects: Based on the Ecuadorian experience.

Keynote address by Maria Teresa Mijares Pisano (Ecuadorian Foundation for Telemedicine and Telehealth)

The use of Telemedicine and Telehealth has proven advantages and results at a world-wide level. It started with applications for government and defense departments; however at the present time it has expanded, to integrate its usage for rural areas, because of its benefits for the inhabitants of isolated regions, where basic services such as water, electricity, health and communication are almost absent.

Ecuador does not want to remain outside of this wave of benefits and concrete solutions or applications, for that reason and with a realistic point of view; we have analyzed and determined the limitations that have prevented our Country to utilize this trend at a wide national level.

Additionally, to intent to solve this limitations, we would like to present in this Keynote speech, some suggested solutions that include the fact that our future work, must be a result of joint efforts between non governmental organizations such us our foundation, private and public institutions, international organizations and their experiences, hand by hand with the governmental agencies. With this approach, we expect to be able to generate cost-effective, measurable and applicable solutions at a complete National level, and especially sustainable in long periods of time with the support and participation of the local communities which are the main beneficiaries of these applications.