JIITA, vol. 2, no. 1, pp50-57, Mar, 2018
DOI: 10.22664/ISITA.2018.2.1.50
A Online Tele-Monitoring System for Delivering Healthcare in Rural Sarawak, Malaysia
Mohamad Yuzrie bin Khalid, Vong Wan-Tze, Valliapan Raman, Patrick Hang Hui Then
Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Malaysia
Abstract: The delivery of healthcare services in rural Sarawak is restricted by geographical distance and underequipped healthcare facilities. Rural residents are forced to travel long distance in order to obtain advanced health examination and professional advices. Besides, there are low levels of health knowledge and awareness among rural residents, causing poorer health outcomes and underutilization of healthcare services. To tackle these challenges, an online tele-monitoring system is proposed to facilitate the delivery of healthcare services in rural areas. The system consists of two parts: (1) an android-based mobile application for rural residents to report their health conditions and interact with healthcare service providers without having to travel inordinate distance; and (2) a web-based application for healthcare service providers to remotely monitor the health conditions of their patients and examine health trends in rural communities. The ultimate goals of the system are to improve the knowledge and understanding of health, disease and self-care among rural residents, and to facilitate the accessibility and provision of healthcare services to those living in rural areas.
Keyword: digital platform; healthcare; rural area; socio-economic; tele-monitoring
Full Paper: