Who shall coordinate the coordinators? Facilitating the work of telemedicine networks which provide humanitarian...

Telemedicine networks for humanitarian purposes have evolved over the last decade or so in a largely autonomous way. Communication between them has been informal and relatively limited in scope. This situation could be improved by developing a comprehensive approach to the collection and dissemination of information. We propose the formation of a central 'clearing house' which would allow networks to exchange information and cases where appropriate. In order for a network to belong to the clearing house, it would need to conform to certain guidelines, which would ensure that safe and satisfactory standards would be maintained. We propose that a coordinators' conference should be held to discuss who would operate the clearing house and how it would be resourced. The creation of a central clearing house would facilitate the operation of the networks, particularly during periods of heavy workload, and lead to improved sustainability, thereby benefiting individual patients. We believe that more can be achieved by the networks acting together than by them acting independently.