International telemedicine collaboration
Based on extensive research obtained by the University of the West Indies and the Ministry of Health, many children from Trinidad requiring subspecialty care often face difficulty accessing appropriate care locally and therefore must approach medical or surgical care abroad. With the combination of disadvantaged families and shortage of medical subspecialists, medical leaders in Trinidad have identified a need for accessible quality paediatric care. This identification has resulted in the development of a Telemedicine Centre, partially funded by the Herbie Fund at SickKids.
The Telemedicine link between The University of the West Indies and SickKids will allow teleconferencing technology to conduct “real time” consultations between the two centres. Local health care professionals from the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope Hospital now have access to specialists at SickKids for the purposes of consultations, education and research in order to maximize paediatric care in Trinidad & Tobago.
SickKids is dedicated and committed to the development of this project for it reflects our vision to be a global force in children’s health. We continually strive to share in the exchange of clinical and educational best practices in order to maximize quality paediatric care on an international scale. In addition, by utilizing this Telemedicine site, SickKids will effectively steward funds allocated by Operation Herbie to assist children in need of specialized care through the Herbie Fund.
Through the Telemedicine linkage, we are able to pre-screen Herbie Fund applicants to ensure that children seeking treatment fulfill the eligibility criteria. This will ensure that we maximize our efforts to increase the number of children that can benefit from the Herbie Fund, and ensure that they have the appropriate post operative and ongoing care available in their home country.
Should you wish to make a Telehealth referral to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) for an international patient, please complete this referral form.
Click here to learn more about the SickKids Telemedicine Program.