Venezuela - WorldCare launches internet-based telemedicine services in Venezuela

Citation

(2006), "Venezuela - WorldCare launches internet-based telemedicine services in Venezuela", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 19 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2006.06219gab.003

Venezuela - WorldCare launches internet-based telemedicine services in Venezuela

WorldCare launches internet-based telemedicine services in Venezuela

Keywords: Health and safety, Equality, Partnership, Insurance

WorldCare Limited, the industry leader in international telemedicine services, technology and insurance, today announced that its subsidiary, WorldCare International Limited has joined with General de Seguros, S.A., one of the largest insurance companies in Venezuela to form Corporacion WorldCare Venezuela, CA., to promote telemedicine services country wide.

WorldCare Venezuela will provide consumers with telemedicine insurance and managed access to specialists and sub-specialists at the WorldCare Consortium of prestigious US medical centres including Partners HealthCare System, Inc. comprised in part of Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham And Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; The Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Duke University Health System and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

WorldCare officers stated that they were pleased to partner General de Seguros, S.A., and that WorldCare’s telemedicine insurance is a valuable industry differentiator, which leverages the revolutionary power of the Internet as medium for the delivery of the specialist health care services. These services are designed not to compete with but to compliment the high quality health care already delivered in Venezuela. With WorldCare’s insurance products, its working relationship with an unparalleled Consortium of renowned academic medical centres and its ongoing development of telemedicine technology applications including teleradiology, telepathology and teledermatology, patients throughout Venezuela, covered by General de Seguros, will be able to secure the very latest, US medical expertise at no additional cost as a benefit of enrollment. Other unenrolled patients will also be able to secure these second opinion and case management consultations at an affordable cost. The business focus is to provide managed access to quality medical care wherever and whenever it is needed. This is a compelling model for health care insurers world wide.

James Thrall, Chairman, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and WorldCare Consortium spokesman stated that today, the model in health care is consultation and collaboration. Patients, particularly those with serious or complex illnesses, expect their physicians to make specialist and/or sub-specialist referrals to confirm a diagnosis and formulate the very best treatment plans. WorldCare Venezuela was established to enable Venezuelan physicians to secure private, confidential and expert consultations for their patients in as little as 48-72 hours after the receipt of a complete medical record (24 hours in emergencies). The Consortium institutions have worked closely with WorldCare to develop effective telemedicine applications and protocols. They look forward to exchanging medical knowledge with colleagues in Venezuela to meet the specialist health care needs of their patients on an elective and/or emergency basis.

Andres B. Capriles, President, WorldCare Venezuela stated that the Internet had and will continue to create an unprecedented, global consumer movement in health care. WorldCare Venezuela stands ready to respond to this movement by providing physicians with an efficient, medically validated means to obtain expert, US-based consultation for their patients. All the referring physician needs to do is to call the Caracas-based telemedicine hub. There, trained telemedicine coordinators will facilitate assembly of the patient’s medical record. They will then digitize, encrypt and transmit all relevant medical information including X-Rays, CT Scans, MRI and Ultrasound studies as an “ETR(TM)” (Electronic Telemedicine Record) to WorldCare’s Central Telemedicine Hub for review prior to Consortium hospital routing. A comprehensive, written second opinion and/or patient management consultation will be e-mailed or faxed to the referring physician within 48-72 hours. WorldCare’s telemedicine services are designed to improve health care outcomes without disrupting local physician-patient relationships. These services will increase consumer satisfaction and reinforce a continuum of high quality care.

For more information: www.worldcare.com