The specific aims of this proposal are to establish an Internet link for authorized health care personnel in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) for Internet and electronic mail access. The proposal is submitted by the Internet Access Consortium (IAC) that includes the Ministry of Health, which oversees both the Hospital and Public Health programs, the Alele National Library, the College of the Marshall Islands, the Emergency Management Office, and the Pan-Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by Satellite (PEACESAT) of the University of Hawaii (UH). The official applicant for the proposal is the University of Hawaii. This connection would provide unrestricted use of the limited data link by the hospital, Ministry of Education, Alele National Library Emergency Management Office, and the College of the Marshall Islands. As a result of funding, the government and health agencies plan to achieve the following through the Internet access link: (a) Establish Internet access for health care professionals in the RMI; (b) Train health care professionals on the use of computers and the Internet access; (c) Allow access to medical literature provided by the National Library of Medicine; (d) Provide for the transfer of medical files and images, and (e) Allow interaction via email with other health care professionals around the world. In addition, through the shared use of the PEACESAT satellite network capacities at both the Nitijela (government) and the College of the Marshall Islands, the Consortium will be able to establish video teleconferencing for participation in continuing medical and allied health care professions, Grand Rounds, and other video-teleconferencing consultation and diagnostic programs through the State of Hawaii Telehealth Access Network.
