Mobile Health Around the Globe: mHealth Helps in Louisiana Oil Spill

3 Min Read

Health eVillages, a program of the not-for-profit Robert F.

Health eVillages, a program of the not-for-profit Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, and Physicians Interactive , provides state-of-the-art mobile health technology to medical professionals in challenging clinical environments around the world.  [See our previous post about Health eVillages]Image

Physicians Interactive just announced a partnership with Teche Action Board and through the help of Health eVillages will start providing help to healthcare professionals in southern rural Louisiana, an area heavily affected by the BP oil spill (see NOAA map at right).  A recent study found that about 87% of residents surveyed had some form of health complication potentially linked to the spill. Studies suggest that short-term exposure to oil can be linked to nausea, headache, dizziness, and eye and throat irritation, as well as both upper and lower respiratory tract symptoms. Teche Action Board clinicians previously had to rely on books and intermittent internet service for medical references and clinical decision support tools.  Now, with the help of Health eVillages, they will have immediate access to these clinical decision support resources via mobile devices and apps.  Health eVillages will provide mobile phones and iPod Touches which include the latest specialized medical reference content using Physicians interactive Skyscape in an easily portable format.

In the recent press release, Dr. Gary Wiltz, CEO of the Teche Action Board, comments on the partnership and project:

“The Teche community healthcare professionals are excited about the opportunity to be able to access the latest medical information through the Skyscape platform on these mobile devices being provided by Health eVillages.  The Mission of the Teche Action Clinics is to continually improve our ability to identify and eliminate the unique health disparities of the residents of St Mary, St John, St James and Terrebone Parishes.  With these mobile technology resources now literally at our fingertips, the staff in our clinics will benefit from access to the latest medical developments, training materials and drug alerts and help improve the health and well-being of our patients and our community.”

 sources:

Health eVillages News From the Field

ABC News: Louisiana Locals Worry About Oil Spill’s Health Effects

To read other posts in this exclusive ongoing series, please visit the Mobile Health Around the Globe main page. And if you have a Mobile Health Around the Globe story to tell, please post a comment below or email me at joan@socialmediatoday.com  Thanks!

 

Share This Article
Exit mobile version