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| Telemedicine Society of India | |
|---|---|
| Name | Telemedicine Society of India |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | India |
| Region served | India |
| Leader title | President |
Telemedicine Society of India
The Telemedicine Society of India is a professional association founded in 1997 to advance remote healthcare delivery through information and communication technologies. It interfaces with stakeholders across Indian healthcare, technology, and policy spheres, engaging with institutions, regulatory bodies, academic centers, and international organizations to promote telehealth practice, research, and capacity building. The Society has influenced clinical telemedicine models, digital health standards, and training initiatives across diverse settings in India.
The Society was established amid rising interest in telemedicine following initiatives by Indian Space Research Organisation and pilot projects at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, aligning with policy discussions in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and consultations involving National Informatics Centre and World Health Organization. Early collaborations included technology demonstrations with Department of Electronics, design work with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, and evaluations at tertiary centers like Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and Christian Medical College, Vellore. Influences came from international telemedicine developments such as programs at Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and initiatives supported by United Nations Development Programme and World Bank.
The Society’s mission reflects aims similar to professional organizations such as Royal College of Physicians, American Telemedicine Association, and Indian Council of Medical Research: to promote telemedicine practice, foster research, develop training curricula, and advocate standards. Objectives include capacity building with partners like National Medical Commission, standard-setting dialogue with Bureau of Indian Standards, and knowledge exchange with universities such as Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, University of Delhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Governance mirrors structures found in bodies like Indian Medical Association and Medical Council of India prior to reconstitution, with an elected executive committee, regional chapters across states (comparable to Karnataka State Board of Medical Research locales), and specialty cells engaging clinicians from institutions including King Edward Memorial Hospital, Armed Forces Medical Services, and private hospital chains like Apollo Hospitals and Fortis Healthcare. Advisory inputs have come from legal experts associated with Supreme Court of India precedents and technologists from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Indian Institute of Science.
Programs include capacity-building workshops modeled after continuing professional development offered by Royal College of General Practitioners and tele-mentoring schemes akin to Project ECHO. Activities have included pilot teleconsultation services linking district hospitals such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal with tertiary centers, rural outreach leveraging infrastructure from National Rural Health Mission, and e-learning courses in collaboration with medical colleges like Christian Medical College, Vellore and Grant Medical College. The Society has organized training for clinical specialties including radiology with inputs from Indian Radiological and Imaging Association, psychiatry with Indian Psychiatric Society, and oncology with Tata Memorial Centre.
The Society has published proceedings, consensus statements, and technical guidelines informed by research from journals like The Lancet, BMJ, and regional publications such as Indian Journal of Medical Research. It convenes national conferences and symposia with formats resembling gatherings hosted by Indian Science Congress and international meetings attended by delegates from World Health Organization, International Telecommunication Union, and academic centers such as Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School.
Partnerships span public agencies and private entities: engagements with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, pilots with Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel for connectivity solutions, device collaborations with Bharat Electronics Limited, and interoperability dialogues with standards bodies like International Organization for Standardization and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Academic collaborations have included joint projects with Indian Institutes of Technology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and international exchange with University of Oxford and University of California, San Francisco.
The Society influenced policy discourse leading to frameworks similar to the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines and spurred adoption in tertiary networks, primary care outreach, and disaster response linked to events like the COVID-19 pandemic and regional emergencies. Criticism has focused on challenges documented in analyses by National Health Systems Resource Centre and commentators from Economic Times and The Hindu: concerns include variability in implementation across states such as Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, digital divide issues highlighted by National Sample Survey Office data, medico-legal clarity debated in forums referencing judgments from Supreme Court of India, and interoperability hurdles cited by technologists from Centre for Internet and Society.
Category:Medical associations based in India Category:Telemedicine