International Medical Internet Service Appoints Clinical Advisory Directors
Dr John Gillies, Senior Lecturer in Health Informatics, University of Otago and Professor Peter Yellowlees, chair of the
Queensland Telemedicine Network and recently appointed founding Chairman of the Asia Pacific Online Health Network
Conference, has joined the Clinical Advisory Board at Doctor Global. Dr Gillies, a Hamilton based specialist
paediatrician, has worked in the field since 1992 and since then has been involved in the University team that has
established a diploma of Health Informatics. Dr Gillies and his team are currently developing a Masters and PhD Health
Informatics programme as well as undergraduate teaching in this area. Health Informatics concerns sophisticated
information management involving computer systems. The course is taught using distance learning techniques involving
Internet conferencing and other collaborative activities undertaken by students as a major part of their course
requirements. Professor Yellowlees, who has also worked in the field since 1992, is the Professor of Community Mental
Health, University of Queensland’s Department of Psychiatry and Director of the University’s Centre for Online Health.
The Online Health Network is an international network which aims to facilitate and encourage multilateral co-operation
between on-line health organisations, academic institutions and governments, in order to facilitate the introduction of
high quality online health care services and co-operative projects.
Doctor John Gillies and Professor Peter Yellowlees will be involved as both clinicians and as part of the senior
Clinical Management Team responsible for the development of safe and ethical systems for the delivery of online health
services for the Internet Medical site www.doctorglobal.com.
The Clinical Advisory Board is responsible for the recruiting, training and quality control of doctors who wish to
provide e-consults via www.doctorglobal.com.
Dr John Gillies is the Senior lecturer in Informatics at the department of Medicine at Otago University and has been
appointed as the Chairman of the Doctor Global Clinical Advisory Board. Professor Peter Yellowlees, is the director of
the University of Queensland Centre for Online health and has also been appointed to the Clinical Advisory Board
executive committee.
Doctor Global CEO, Dr Tom Mulholland said that their decision to become integrally involved with the ongoing development
of Doctor Global's services enhances our credibility in this area. “Having both Dr Gillies and Professor Yellowlees
involved as experts who understand clinical, privacy and security issues, as these apply to Internet Medicine, ensures a
high level of expertise for the service Dr. Mulholland confidently added. “They will help to further develop our
guidelines and policies which is really important as Internet Medicine is a new field and there are few established
international protocols and standards” he said.
Dr Gillies said that the company is well placed to lead the world in providing a meaningful service for both patients
and Doctors. “ The work we have done with medical agencies like the New Zealand Medical Council in establishing
guidelines means that Doctor Global is leading the world in this field. Highly regarded doctors and health specialists
have joined our growing network, confident in the fact that Doctor Global is developing world class standards for
providing online medical consultations” he said.
Dr Gillies, says there is tremendous value in the Doctor Global concept. As Chairman of the CAB he sees on line
consultations via an ethical and secure service such as Doctor Global as empowering patients to be in control of their
own health management in conjunction with a registered health professional.
Dr Gillies has been working and teaching paediatrics for 25years and continues to do so at the University of Auckland,
as well as his own private paediatric practice in Hamilton.
After graduating from Otago Medical School in 1970, he has had post graduate medical training and experience through out
New Zealand. Overseas in Canada he spent four years doing Paediatric Residency Training at The Children’s Centre in
Winnipeg, Canada.
His interest in computers began in the early 80’s after seeing the potential to store and disperse a vast amount of
medical knowledge and information efficiently.
Teaching informatics, which is teaching doctors how to find and store medical information to help combat the paper war,
has led Dr Gillies to see the potential of Doctor Global in the medical field.
He says Doctor Global is empowering patients. “We can help inform patients so they can make their own decision on what
to do. Doctor Global is reputable, reliable doctors responding by giving advice or reassurance. Treatment includes
education, and an ongoing commitment to the patients welfare.
Dr Gillies has published multiple papers on child asthma and has presented papers on technology applications in
medicine.
Dr Mulholland said that both Professor Yellowlees and Dr Gillies will make a huge difference from an operational point
of view. “Peter is Australasian’s leading authority in the use of telemedicine and online health in clinical practice
and John is well known in both New Zealand and Australia for his work and expertise in this field. They are both
advocates for how the adoption of appropriate technology can improve health outcomes for patients and he strongly
supports the Doctor Global philosophy about assisting people to be proactive about managing their health” he said.
Dr Gillies said the bottom line is that unlike a lot of other organisations that are talking about harnessing the power
of the Internet to improve health outcomes, Doctor Global is actually doing it. The opportunities for Doctor Global in
this field are enormous, particularly as people take more responsibility for their own physical and mental well-being.
The Internet is the health medium of the future. Having access to a range of online doctors provides patients with a
convenient and reliable network of international medical specialists who are totally focused on patient needs.
Assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment e-clinics in this field will empower patients to be better informed
about the treatment options available to them”, Dr.Gillies finally added.
As well as contributing to the Clinical Advisory Board both will also be clinic directors. Professor Yellowlees would be
consulting for Doctor Global in his capacity as Executive Director for Mental Health while Doctor Gillies would be
responsible for both the Doctor Global Asthma and Paediatric Clinics.
Dr Mulholland added that with the assistance of these world class specialists, Doctor Global will immediately develop
leading edge strategies in the field of mental health, asthma and paediatrics.
END
Further details including photographs and briefing notes including a detailed Question and Answer outline please contact
the Doctor Global® Limited Office phone: 64 6 7591810
or E-mail: help@doctorglobal.com
www.doctorglobal.com
For further details contact:
Dr John Gillies
Chairman, Clinical Advisory Board
Doctor Global
Mobile Phone (021) 664484 New Zealand
E-mail: jgillies@doctorglobal.com
Dr Tom Mulholland Mobile
CEO Doctor Global
Phone (06) 759 1810
E-mail: tom@doctorglobal.com
Professor Peter Yellowlees
Clinic Director Doctor Global
Mobile Phone 0413 72 6255 Australia
E-mail: pyellowlees@doctorglobal.com