Telemedicine in extreme conditions: supporting the Martin Strel Amazon Swim Expedition.

Slovenian Martin Strel, the Guinness world record holder in ultra marathon swimming, recently set a new world record by swimming the entire Amazon River. Over a 66-day period beginning in Atalaya, Peru, he swam to the Atlantic Ocean at Belém, Brazil. This record-breaking swim was part of the Amazon Swim Expedition. This entire mission was supported by a comprehensive medical team, the Amazon Virtual Medical Team (AVMT), which provided medical support using telemedicine. The AVMT, a multinational volunteer group of specialists, physicians, and telemedicine experts, provided medical support 24/7 in some of the most remote, dangerous, basin. The AVMT was directed basin. The AVMT was directed by Dr. Rifat Latifi and expedition team physician, Dr. Mateja de Leonni Stanonik, who was aboard the boat during the entire expedition. The expedition provided a unique opportunity to promote telemedicine and e-health in over 17 communities in the Amazon basin.