Trends in Telecommunication Reform 2010-11 further provision of Internet connectivity into commun-ities. doctors, as well as between healthcare providers. Im-provements Policy makers should encourage arrangements in telemedicine and other e-health initia-tives that allow medical facilities or their partners to resell excess capacity in order to both extend connectivity and provide some level of financial support for the broadband link. rely on increasing bandwidth capacity, more storage and processing capabilities and higher levels of security to protect patient information.104 Basic fixed and mobile infrastructure is insufficient to take advan-tage of the e-health opportunities in the digital econo-my. Ensuring access to and adoption of fixed and 3.4.5 ICTs and Banking mobile broadband networks is necessary to including those who have been left out of more traditional healthcare models. Increased penetration and use of ICTs has great po-tential to extend access to financial services to low in-come households that are not reached by traditional This was the case in Rwanda where a three-phase bank branch networks and also to lower the cost of de-livery to both banks and customers.107 In emerging e-health project was delayed due to lack of high-speed broadband connectivity.105 During the first phase of the initiative, an electronic data storage system that permit-ted markets, there is on average one bank branch and one automated teller machine for every 10,000 people, but more than 50 per cent of the population has access to a mobile phone.108 For these markets, the deployment and take-up of mobile banking services (m-Banking) is of particular relevance. Connecting the “unbanked”109 through mobile phones would introduce millions to fi-nancial sharing of patient information among three hospit-als was established. This phase was completed without delay. However, the final two phases involving video conferencing and a real-time telemedicine system were put on hold for a year until a broadband Internet con-nection could be established to connect the three hos-pitals with a fibre optic cable network.106 services that will help build assets and make the poor “less vulnerable to crises so that they can ulti-mately plot their own paths out of poverty.”110 This po-tential of m-Banking signals the increased convergence Examples such as Rwanda where hospitals and of two industries: ICTs and financial services, a trend that is expected to continue to increase in the coming decade. medical clinics are being connected with fibre networks, show it is possible for these facilities to act as anchor institutions that serve as “jumping-off” points for the Box 3.9: Examples of e-health tools and services • Telehealth/telemedicine: The use of ICTs either to support the provision of health care or as an alternative to direct professional care. This enables healthcare professionals to diagnosis and treat patients remotely, as well as allowing for radiology and laboratory information to be sent electronically. • m-Health: Enables the use of mobile devices to collect health data and to provide healthcare information to practi-tioners, researchers, and patients, as well as real-time monitoring of patients and direct provision of care via mobile telemedicine. • Electronic health records: Allows immediate communication of patient data among different healthcare profes-sionals and includes information such as test results, medication and general clinical history. • Education and training for healthcare practitioners: Enables doctors and nurses to continue their training and pro-vide the most up-to-date technologies and services to patients. • Decision support systems: Automated or semi-automated systems that support decision-making in a clinical envi-ronment. • Education and awareness: Use of electronic resources by patients or healthy individuals to research various health topics. • Geographical information systems: Applications allow healthcare professionals to aggregate and analyze data over local, regional, national or global areas, which can support disease surveillance, public health advisory systems and vaccination status reporting. Source: WHO, eHealth Tools and Services: Needs of the Member States, Report of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth (2006). Chapter 3 105