Following in the footsteps of the University Telemedicine Network (RUTE) implemented in Brazil, the National Academic Network for Advanced Technology (RENATA) announced the launch of RUTE Colombia.
Rafael Rodríguez Maldonado, executive director of RENATA, explained during the announcement, that RUTE Colombia, aims to share the best experiences in health from universities and hospitals in Colombia and support the articulation of RENATA in the development of projects involving digital technology services.
"From RENATA we have introduced to Colombia the experience of Brazil, through the University Telemedicine Network, RUTE, which has 15 years of experience in telehealth processes, with 139 units in operation throughout Brazil and 50 Special Interest Groups (SIG). We want to use the Community to carry out diagnoses for the generation of activities that will strengthen the Digital Health scenario in Colombia and develop work plans focused on the lines proposed to strengthen this community," he explained about the project that was born in Brazil and will be replicated in Colombia.
Also in the launch event was present Germán Rueda, vice-minister of Digital Transformation at the Colombian Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC). "From the MinTIC we are making a very big investment in digital transformation for the health sector. We have developed an open-source software for digital medical records and data analysis in telehealth issues. With the support of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection we managed to increase digital consultations in healthcare more than tenfold because we have relied on artificial intelligence, data analytics and blockchain," he explained about the recent advances in digital transformation that the MinTIC has implemented.
Also present at the inauguration were representatives from the University of Caldas, a university that has an extensive telehealth program created in 2001. Telesalud Caldas is focused on bringing comprehensive telemedicine services to rural areas, according to Esteban Granada, director of Telesalud of that institution. In September of this year, it will even take its model of care in remote areas to Europe.
Other national universities such as the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Universidad de Antioquia and foreign universities such as the Universidad Oberta de Catalunya were also part of the announcement.
The Last March, the National University Network in Chile, together with national authorities and organizations, launched RUTE Chile. Now Colombia joins Chile and Brazil in the creation of RUTE, promoting the transformation of health services through digital tools.
