University Telemedicine Network arrives in Bahia

Bahia has just decisively joined the University Telemedicine Network (Rute), a project that promotes the integration of Telehealth in Brazil. The milestone took place with the inauguration of the Telehealth units at Rute at the Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital Complex and the Climério de Oliveira Maternity Hospital, both linked to UFBA. The ceremony took place on the morning of last Tuesday (07) and was attended by the governor of Bahia, Jaques Wagner, the Dean of UFBA, Dora Leal, the national coordinator of Rute, Luiz Ary Messina, the state health secretaries Jorge Solla and José Rodrigues Saturnino Municipality, as well as teachers and health professionals.

In the afternoon, from 14:30 pm, Messina gave a lecture in the auditorium of the University Center for Telehealth – NUTS, at the Professor Hosannah de Oliveira Pediatric Center. THE Bahiana also participated in the meeting and was represented by the professor of Medicine and coordinator of the Educational Technologies Development Center - CEDETE, Prof. Dr. Antônio Carlos Costa, of the coordinators of the Medicine course, Dr. Marta Menezes, and of Nursing, Maria de Loudes Gomes, of the coordinators of Biomedicine, Geraldo Argolo and Dentistry, Urbino Tunes, of the vice-coordinator of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, Ana Carolina Garcia and Information Technology manager, Cláudio Santos.

GYM
With the opening in Bahia, the number of Telehealth Centers throughout Brazil reaches 46. “This means that everyone is connected, enabling the consultation of second opinions from a distance”, explained Messina who, in her speech, introduced Ruth and the Telehealth project in Brazil.

Launched in 2006, Ruth is an initiative of Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), which receives resources from the Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP), and is coordinated by National Education and Research Network (RNP), organization responsible for the operation of the Brazilian academic internet. The Network's main objectives are to improve the communication infrastructure for telehealth present in university hospitals, create Telemedicine and Telehealth Units and promote the integration of existing projects in this area.

According to Messina, “The three basic objectives of the Network are to promote remote assistance, distance education and collaborative research. In other words, it is taking knowledge of the large urban centers to the interior”.

The network's national coordinator explained that communication takes place in two ways, either through web conferences, using common computers or through videoconferences, held in rooms prepared for this purpose.

As highlights, in Brazil, he pointed out the state of Minas Gerais, where the Telemedicine shift performs 900 consultations a day, and in Santa Catarina, where the focus is on diagnosis through bioimaging. "The states where the project has developed better are those in which the state public can actively participate", commented the coordinator.

A BAHIANA AND RUTH
Bahiana has been a member of RUTE since January, when the first videoconference was held, at the time with the SIG (Special Interest Group) of Teledermatology. The GIS transmissions, as well as all the telemedicine activities of the Bahiana are held in the videoconference room of the CEDET and involve universities, medical schools, university hospitals throughout Brazil and other countries. All activities are recorded and are available to the School's academic community on the Videoconference Room link. Http: // www.bahiana.edu.br/ava

The only private Higher Education institution in Bahia to participate in the Network, the Bahiana This year, it held a series of videoconferences linked to SIGs in dermatology, psychiatry, cardiology, nursing, child and adolescent health, among other topics.

SHIPPING
Bahiana has been part of, since October, the Salvador Metropolitan Network – REMITTANCE, conceived by the Ministry of Science and Technology and coordinated by the National Research Network – RNT, through the Community Education and Research Networks project – Redecomep, which proposes the installation of high-speed networks for several cities in the country, with a focus on academic and research areas.

REMESSA, which counts on the participation of higher education institutions, research centers and hospitals, is the result of a partnership between the City Hall of Salvador and the State and Federal governments. It works via internet 2 and uses the latest technology with high speed communication fiber optic cables. This entire structure has already been implemented and installed in the Bahiana.

Among the benefits, this technology ensures that participating institutions can share information more quickly and use advanced communication tools, providing the sharing of scientific production and joint project development, both nationally and internationally. Possible applications include video conferencing and telephone (voice) traffic.

the ticket of Bahiana in this network it means its equivalence to the main research institutions, enabling its participation in joint works with important institutions throughout Brazil.