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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Endosc. May 16, 2014; 6(5): 148-155
Published online May 16, 2014. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v6.i5.148
Published online May 16, 2014. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v6.i5.148
Telementoring in education of laparoscopic surgeons: An emerging technology
Etai M Bogen, Knut M Augestad, Rolv-Ole Lindsetmo, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9018 Tromsø, Norway
Knut M Augestad, Hiten RH Patel, Department of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 11100, United States
Knut M Augestad, Hiten RH Patel, Department of Urology, University Hospital of Northern Norway, 9018 Tromsø, Norway
Knut M Augestad, Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine and Integrated Care, 9018 Tromsø, Norway
Etai M Bogen, Hiten RH Patel, Rolv-Ole Lindsetmo, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tromsø, 9019 Tromsø, Norway
Hiten RH Patel, Virtual Surgical Skills and Simulation Centre, Institute of Cancer, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Bogen EM performed the semi systematic review search and manuscript write up; Augestad KM, Patel HRH and Lindsetmo RO performed the manuscript editing and reviewing.
Correspondence to: Dr. Etai M Bogen, MD, Department of Gastro-intestinal Surgery, University Hospital of Northern Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 9018 Tromsø, Norway. etai.bogen@unn.no
Telephone: +47-91-507766
Received: December 6, 2013
Revised: March 31, 2014
Accepted: April 17, 2014
Published online: May 16, 2014
Revised: March 31, 2014
Accepted: April 17, 2014
Published online: May 16, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Telemedicine is becoming used more and more in today’s surgical practice. We highlight a new low cost telementoring prototype we developed that allows the delivery of better surgical education and delivering specialized expertise to rural areas. Telemedicine is a global term for a computer technology that allows medical information exchange from one location to another via telecommunication. Telemedicine helps in eliminating the distance barriers and provides medical expertise to rural communities.