Abstract:
In a post-disaster response in Pakistan, computer and telecommunications skill training, using a telemedicine system, was conducted. One hundred and ninety-four paraplegics were admitted to healthcare facilities following injuries sustained in the rural mountains near the epicenter of the 2005 earthquake. The telemedicine system and associate curriculum were utilized to provide training. The social disruption of disaster plus the new challenge of a neurological deficit in paraplegia did not deter patients from engaging in computer and telemedicine training. This study demonstrates the feasibility of educating rural paraplegics in computer skills for telemedicine. The telemedicine training center can be used for this task without special equipment or personnel and such a task can increase the utilization of the facility.