Recommendations for Developing a Telemedicine Strategy for Botswana: A Meta-Synthesis

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Public Health Policy
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Botswana is implementing a National eHealth Strategy to enhance healthcare capacity.
• The current National eHealth Strategy does not adequately address telemedicine.
• Telemedicine offers a significant potential solution for Botswana's healthcare challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose recommendations for a telemedicine-specific strategy in Botswana.
• To align telemedicine initiatives with the existing National eHealth Strategy.
• To identify suitable telemedicine activities and delivery approaches for Botswana's context.

Main Methods:

• Identification of key health-related issues in Botswana from published resources.
• Matching prioritized health issues with appropriate telemedicine activities and delivery methods.
• Development of evidence-based recommendations using a recognized strategy development framework.

Main Results:

• Six out of 28 identified health issues were prioritized for telemedicine intervention.
• Recommended telemedicine activities include clinical services, education, and behavior change.
• The 'store-and-forward' approach was identified as suitable due to infrastructure and mobile phone capabilities.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated telemedicine strategy is essential for Botswana to leverage its benefits.
• The proposed recommendations support the integration of telemedicine into the national health system.
• This strategic approach will facilitate the expansion of telemedicine for improved healthcare access for all Batswana.