ABSTRACT
The Khmer empire was once the largest and most powerful in South-East Asia. The descendant country of Cambodia is home to over 14 million people. Cambodia ranks among the lowest countries on the United Nations Human Development Index and among the highest in poverty. To facilitate improved local care, a nurse from Sihanouk Hospital Centre of HOPE travels by road from Phnom Penh to Rovieng each month. The choice of the laboratory tests was based on several factors, including the prevalence of local disease, ease of use, storage requirements, low cost, and the ability to use them without reliance on running water or electricity. Retrospective reviews of the telemedicine work have been completed by staff at the Center for Connected Health and the Harvard Medical School. The willingness of families to accommodate one another during the monthly telemedicine clinics signals a high degree of ‘social capital’.
