The Promise of E-Platform Technology in Medical Education

Abstract

Increasing the number as well as improving the capacity and quality of medical professionals to achievean equitable health care for all is a global priority and a global challenge. In developing countries, whichare facing the largest burden of disease, to achieve the above stated objective, there is a big need for morewell-trained, competent and dedicated health care providers. Currently, there is a well-documentedshortage of trained health workers globally, with the poorest countries having the greatest shortfalls.The time tested, traditional approach of training health care force by importing professionals fromoverseas is not only prohibitively expensive but also not sufficient to achieve the scale and pace of therequired human capacity building. Considering this fact, distance learning programs, which include m-Health as well as other information technology (IT) platforms and tools, can provide unique, timely, cost-effective, easily scalable and valuable opportunities to expand access to training health care manpowerin developing countries where the shortage is critical.