Three Mobile Tools to Improve Healthcare Delivery
Summary
In 2010, FrontlineSMS:Medic committed to deploy three pioneering mobile health tools across three continents through 2012. These mobile health tools include: PatientView, a lightweight patient records system that can be used anywhere with a mobile signal; Operator, a tool that uses web platforms like Resource Finder to enable dynamic resource mapping; and OASYS, a breakthrough messaging platform for OpenMRS, which is an open-source medical records system.
Approach
APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
FrontlineSMS:Medic develops and deploys last-mile and open-source mobile health technologies. This commitment centers around the deployment of three new tools: PatientView, Operator, and OASYS.
PatientView
PatientView is a patient records system that works anywhere there is a mobile signal. It organizes text messages and mobile forms to create patient and health worker profiles, and makes patient data searchable. PatientView’s simplicity and mobility make it ideal for hard-to-reach hospitals and clinics.
The module creates a new user interface within FrontlineSMS – one screen where staff at a central computer can view all data relevant to an individual patient. Health workers can sort, update, and add new records from the central computer. The plug-in also introduces login security, new search features, simpler messaging to patients’ health workers, a ‘flag’ system to alert clinical staff to certain information, and new reporting capabilities.
Operator
Operator was developed to efficiently and accurately send structured information via plain text SMS available on the lowest-common-denominator handsets in low-resource settings. It provides a simple syntax and enables structured data collection with the robustness and scalability of SMS through plain text, yes/no, multiple choice, and checklist responses. Use cases include dynamic stock reporting and resource mapping, landmine victim care tracking, and maternal health vital event reporting. We are collaborating with Google to enable Operator to update information about health facilities in Resource Finder, a tool Google has developed to help disseminate updated information about which services various health facilities offer in a disaster area. Operator will allow relief workers to update a given facility’s available bed status, which types of specialists are on staff, etc, all via SMS.
OASYS
FrontlineSMS:Medic is building a messaging platform for OpenMRS, a web-based, open-source medical records system. OASYS will allow large clinics to extend patient records outside clinic walls, e.g. giving remote health workers the ability to update patients’ records via SMS, allowing clinicians to set appointment reminders, messaging CHWs about patient test results and treatment instructions, etc.
IMPLEMENTATION, TIMELINE, AND DELIVERABLES
FrontlineSMS:Medic aims to implement three national-scale and over ten regional-scale programs by the end of 2012. Target countries include Malawi, Kenya, Mali, Bangladesh, Haiti and Colombia. Through these deployments, FrontlineSMS:Medic expects to increase their number of end users by a factor of ten, from 1,500 to 15,000 health workers.
Background
The developing world lacks 4.4 million health workers (WHO). Because of this shortage, large gaps exist in health systems. The disconnect between health centers and peripheral communities means that adherence rates suffer, clinicians are unaware of patient statuses, immobile patients cannot receive emergency care, remote health workers lack support, new illnesses are not identified, and drug stock-outs are too common. FrontlineSMS:Medic was founded to help health workers communicate, coordinate patient care, and provide diagnostics using low-cost mobile technology.
Progress Update
April 2013
Medic Mobile works with more than 30 partners across 18 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the U.S. The organization now supports over 7,000 frontline health workers with mobile tools, and its programs now covers over three million people. Medic Mobile plans to double its footprint again in 2013.
Partnership Opportunities
Medic Mobile is offering open-source technology tools for health workers, household caregivers, and patients. The organization is also creating decision support tools, use case guides, and impact and cost analysis tools. See their website for more information: http://medicmobile.org