Referral patterns in a global store-and-forward telemedicine system

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Global Health
• Telemedicine

Background:

• The Swinfen Charitable Trust established an email telemedicine network to provide specialist advice to hospitals worldwide.
• The network aimed to support healthcare professionals in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze referral patterns within the Swinfen Charitable Trust's email telemedicine network.
• To inform long-term resource planning and sustainability of the service.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of referral data from 62 registered hospitals across 19 countries over six years.
• Tracking referral rates, response times, and long-term engagement from key participating hospitals.

Main Results:

• Nearly 1,000 referrals were processed, covering diverse medical specialties.
• Referral rates increased significantly, with response times improving over time.
• Sustained engagement from some hospitals showed declining referral trends, suggesting knowledge transfer.

Conclusions:

• The email telemedicine network demonstrated significant growth in demand.
• Exponential demand growth contrasted with linear specialist resource growth, indicating a potential future capacity crisis.
• The findings highlight the need for strategic resource planning to meet escalating global healthcare needs via telemedicine.