Telemedicine Consultation as an Indicator of Local Telemedicine Champions' Contributions, Health Care System Needs or Both: Tales from Two Continents.

Telemedicine systems increase access to care, particularly in remote and developing countries. Nationwide telemedicine programs in Cabo Verde and Albania have been built by the International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (IVeH) and based on the effective Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer (IBOT) strategy. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical results between the two programs and examine the relationship between the clinical teleconsultations as an indicator of health care system needs and the contribution of local telemedicine champions.

Telemedicine for Neurotrauma Prevents Unnecessary Transfers: An Update from a Nationwide Program in Albania and Analysis of 590 Patients.

Background: The telemedicine program in Albania includes a specialized teleneurotrauma program. There is only 1 national trauma center with neurosurgery capability in the capital city of Tirana. Patients with isolated head or spine injury who require consultation with neurosurgeons located at the National Trauma Center receive telemedicine consultation.

Increased Access to Care through Telemedicine in Albania: An Analysis of 2,724 Patients.

The Integrated Telemedicine and e-Health program (ITeHP) of Albania, built by the International Virtual e-Hospital Foundation (IVeH), has improved access to high-quality health care, particularly in high demanding specialty disciplines. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the majority of patients in remote and regional hospitals can be managed using telemedicine and will prevent unnecessary transfers. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients seen between January 2014 and September 2018 was conducted.

Telemedicine for Neurotrauma in Albania: Initial Results from Case Series of 146 Patients.

Background: Use of telemedicine for neurotrauma when performed by neurosurgeons is an innovative care option for traumatic brain injury patients, particularly in countries with limited neurosurgery expertise resources. In recent years, Albania has developed a robust telemedicine program and teleneurotrauma is the flagship of the program. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of the first neurotrauma patients managed via telemedicine in Albania.

The readiness of emergency and trauma care in low- and middle-income countries: a cross-sectional descriptive study of 42 public hospitals in Albania.

Background: Traumatic injuries have become a substantial but neglected epidemic in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but emergency rooms (ERs) in these countries are often staffed with healthcare providers who have minimal emergency training and experience. The aim of this paper was to describe the specialized training, available interventions, and the patient management strategies in the ERs in Albanian public hospitals.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of 42 ERs in the Republic of Albania between September 5, 2014, and December 29, 2014 was performed.

Access to Specialized Care Through Telemedicine in Limited-Resource Country: Initial 1,065 Teleconsultations in Albania.

Objective: To analyze the initial experience of the nationwide clinical telemedicine program of Albania, as a model of implementation of telemedicine using "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" strategy.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of prospectively collected data from teleconsultations in Albania between January 1, 2014 and August 26, 2015, delivered synchronously, asynchronously, or a combination of both methods. Patient's demographics, mode of consultation, clinical specialty, hospitals providing referral and consultation, time from initial call to completion of consultation, and patient disposition following teleconsultation were analyzed.