Jack Higgins

Telehealth is mainstream technology now, but GTN’s efforts are unique in a number of ways: ​ GTN focuses on primary care health services for areas where there are no physicians at all – not just on providing specialty consultations. We'll respond to online requests from nurses, Community Health Workers, birth attendants, midwives and others who provide front line health services and often encounter patients with complex problems that exceed their capabilities. In many places there is no access to behavioral health services. That's why we're recruiting Psychiatrists and Clinical Psychologists who are willing to volunteer their time to assist physicians and other health workers who encounter patients with mental health problems. We'll also provide medical and surgical specialty consultations for physicians practicing in isolated locations, but we'll do it differently from most international telehealth programs that involve a single medical center offering consultations by advance appointment during office hours, or that provide advice through an exchange of emails. Now physicians in underserved areas will be able to obtain real-time interactive consultations with volunteers located in many time zones. GTN will encourage those same physicians who work in underserved areas to use our system for outreach, helping nurses or Community Health Workers in even more isolated locations. GTN’s system will adapt to the bandwidth that is available at the remote location. In surprisingly large parts of the world, bandwidth is adequate for video consultations, but where access is more limited, we can provide help through cell phones, email or even text messages. When our initial phase of telehealth services is fully implemented, we'll offer preventive health services, often provided by volunteer Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Physician Assistants, Registered Dietitians, Physical Therapists and other non-physician health workers.