The Institute of Remote Healthcare is an academic organisation devoted to the improvement of healthcare for those who live and work in remote places often associated with environmental hazards. A remote area may be a desert oilfield or a city grid-locked by traffic. The Institute’s mission is achieved by education and by research. It designs courses suitable for the educational base of the areas where they are to apply, the local environment, the culture and the actual problems commonly faced. The Institute will also accredit the courses provided by other training organisations either on its own or with the involvement of the Royal Colleges of UK and the Universities with which it is associated. It will also advise on obtaining accreditation of training material promoted by local organisations by appropriate institutions. Both the design of new courses and the accreditation of existing courses are often preceded by an audit of the local problems and the existence and quality of locally available training material. This is carried out by the research wing of the Institute so that it can be said that the courses approved by the Institute are truly research based.

In addition to audit of educational material the research wing carries out general epidemiological studies of available services in remote areas with particular emphasis on emergency medical services, such as ambulance services. These studies are accompanied by detailed recommendations for improvement if necessary. The research wing will also advise on and evaluate new equipment for use in remote areas in both education and emergency services. General, practical, medical, problem solving research is also carried out.

Excellent communications are the foundation of the philosophy of remote healthcare and the Institute has a major involvement in telemedicine for both training and emergency service. Currently new approaches are being promoted and evaluated in emergency health care using electronic means for transmitting data during transport and obtaining medical advice as soon as nurses or paramedics arrive at the scene. This will be an ongoing area of research and development.