e-Sanjeevani:Telemedicine Software Application For infants and children In Pediatric India

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Pediatrics

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. The word pediatrics and its cognates mean healer of children; they derive from two Greek words: παῖς (pais = child) and ιατρός (iatros = doctor or healer).The upper age limit ranges from age 14 to 21, depending on the country. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is thus known as a pediatrician. Pediatricians diagnose and treat infections, injuries, and many types of organic disease and dysfunction. They work to reduce infant and child mortality, foster healthy lifestyles, and ease the day-to-day difficulties of those with chronic conditions. With structured evaluation and early intervention, pediatricians identify and address developmental and behavioral problems that result from exposure to psychosocial stressors. They appreciate the vulnerability of childhood and adolescence, and actively advocate for measures to protect their health and safety.

Type of Pediatricians:

There are Pediatricians who practice primary care, taking care of the general needs of children, and there are others who specialize, for example, only treating kids with cancer, heart problems, kidney problems, etc.

Another type of child health care provider is the pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP). These professionals generally have earned a master's degree in nursing and have special training in obtaining medical histories, performing physical examinations on children, making medical diagnoses, and providing counseling and treatment.

Common Diseases in Children

Behavior and Parenting issue
Breathing Problems
Childhood Diseases
Development
Digestive Problems
Ear, Nose and Throat Problems
Eyes Problems
Fitness and Nutrition
Injuries
Safety
Skin Problems
Treating Fever
Urinary and Genetic Problems

Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends their members to prescribe additional vaccines to their child patients depending upon the availability at the vaccines and the affordability of the patents. However, it is mandatory to administer all the vaccines under National programme as a priority.

The basic objective of immunization program of any country is the reduction of mortality, prolonged sequelae, disability and morbidity in order of priority against diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. Therefore, the vaccination schedule of a country should be mainly based on epidemiological profile of the diseases that leads to significant mortality, disability and morbidity. Additional important factors that need consideration are the logistics and operational feasibility, availability and the cost effectiveness of the vaccine.

IAP Immunization Time Table

Vaccine	Age Recommended
BCG	Birth-2 Weeks
OPV	Birth, 6, 10, 14 weeks 15 - 18 months, 5 years
DPT	6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks 16 - 18 months, 5 years
Hepatitis B	Birth, 6 weeks, 14 weeks / 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks
HIB Conjugate	6 weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks 16 - 18 months
Measles	9 months plus
MMR	15 months
Typhoid	Above 2 Years
2 doses of TT (Tetanus toxoid)	Pregnant Women
Varicella	1 year onwards
Hepatitis A	2 years onwards

It is desirable to have the support network system for pediatric telemedicine, which provides professional advices from pediatricians to emergency doctors who are not specialized in pediatrics. Many survey results indicated that over 90% of the doctors were less confident about treating children, and more than 50% of them did not have any means to get professional advices from pediatricians. Moreover, 18% of them answered that they experienced or nearly created medical troubles. Regarding the support network system for pediatric telemedicine, over 50% of the doctors stated the system would be useful if it would be able to provide practical advices in a timely manner.

Type of Pediatricians:

Telemedicine in pediatrics as the use of electronic communications technology to provide and support health care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults when distance separates the practitioner from the patient, parent, guardian, or referring practitioner. When telemedicine researchers and application developers apply their efforts to pediatric applications, one would expect that there would be significant benefits to children with special needs or children residing in underserved areas. So CDAC Mohali in such position to develop telemedicine software solution to meet the needs of pediatricians and children’s healthcare advocacy. Telemedicine has important implications for accessing pediatric subspecialty services, determining future health care workforce requirements and their distribution, improving communications with parents of sick and chronically ill children, and extending the boundaries of the medical home.