Health Care

Working with partners including: Xi’an Kingtone Information Technology Co., Ltd.; China Children and Teenagers’ Fund; China Rural Doctors Training Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Health; Hebei Province Women’s Federation; and China Telecom, Wireless Reach is helping to improve the delivery of care in rural health clinics using 3G handsets and 3G-ready PCs, pre-installed with a customized health care application. This system enables doctors and 21 clinics in Xian County, Hebei Province, to have access to medical information and the ability to treat patients more effectively. Using China Telecom’s EV-DO network, clinic workers have access to real-time medical treatment and regulation information, the ability to communicate with other physicians for remote medical consultation and manage patient profiles and records any time, from any location.

Educational health care content designed to address the specific needs of rural doctors also is available. The system gives rural physicians the tools they need to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and provide timely treatment, thus improving the overall health and medical services available to local communities. This is particularly beneficial for groups at higher medical risk such as women and children.

“The combination of a health care application specifically designed for rural doctors and high-speed wireless connectivity will help doctors in underdeveloped areas to benefit from access to the latest medical information and real-time connections with specialists in leading hospitals across China.”

– Li Tao, Chairman, Xi’an Kingtone

Partners

• China Children and Teenagers’ Fund
• China Rural Doctors Training Center, affiliated with the Ministry of Health
• China Telecom
• Hebei Province Women’s Federation
• Xi’an Kingtone Information Technology Co., Ltd.

The Wireless_Health_Care@ Home project allows 300 remote local residents to send critical health information to doctors through a 3G wireless network. Information such a resident’s blood pressure, weight and distance walked can be easily and immediately shared with participating physicians. The data is then reviewed and local residents are advised to adjust their activities in order to improve their physical condition. The health records are further analyzed by correlating them with clinical data and other factors.

In the regions where emergency care and advanced health care are lacking, such as the snowy area of Hokkaido, there are issues with transportation during the winter and the circumstances make access to health care facilities more difficult. For such areas, the ability for people to manage their own health is important to preventing illnesses from becoming serious. The current trend is to reduce the number of long-term care beds in hospitals to promote shorter hospital stays and home-based nursing to reduce health care costs. This being the case, home medical care is fast becoming important in Japan. For remote locations, even a home visit by a doctor or nurse requires considerable time and effort. Therefore, there is a need to increase efficiency through the ability to remotely monitor patient risks and symptoms.

“With quick and simple monitoring of blood pressure at home and the ability to receive remote treatment by specialists, this project is an important step in improving medical access. I welcome this initiative to support underserved patients and I truly appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in this project.”

– Kazuaki Shimamoto, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chairperson of Sapporo Medical University

Partners

• Chealcomm
• Medical Platform Asia (MedPA)

Wireless Reach has teamed with partners to develop a technology intervention program that creates a more efficient process in the supply management of antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) using 3G wireless connectivity. As part of the project, participating antiretroviral therapy (ART) sites in Nairobi, Kenya, have been provided with computers, software and support equipment for wireless connectivity on Telkom Kenya’s 3G CDMA EV-DO Rev. A network.

“Automating the process will enhance the record keeping and reporting processes and help us provide more efficient care to those affected by HIV/AIDS.”

– Dr. Sarah Chuchu, Provincial Pharmacist, Kenyan Ministry of Medical Services

The software developed in the project is designed to automate the manual reporting system for managing ARVs. These newly converted electronic reports can reach the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency quickly and efficiently, providing a more accurate inventory of ARVs in clinics and pharmacies. The project provides a simple, practical solution to a real problem that can be greatly improved using wireless technology. With the immediate increased efficiency and more accurate reporting, pharmacists are able to concentrate on more in-depth tracking of ART adherence and patient care.

Partners

• Axesstel, Inc.
• Communications Commission of Kenya
• Provincial Medical Office of Nairobi
• RTI International
• Telkom Kenya

Wireless Reach is working with several US partners to help fund webcam-enabled laptops, mobile phones, IT equipment and wireless broadband service for various clinics in Peru. Local health care professionals use the connectivity to communicate with teams of doctors from the United States who visit Peru to provide volunteer medical services for residents that would otherwise have no access to health care.

“Teaming up with Qualcomm and their Wireless Reach program, we now have Internet connectivity with videoconferencing capabilities that have allowed us to be better prepared for trips, coordinate needs and begin to have quality follow-up for many of the related issues that are part of the management of cleft problems.”

– Thomas W. Albert, MD, DMD, Co-founder, FACES Foundation

One partner, Capitol City Medical Teams, works with the Kausay Wasi Clinic in Coya. Prior to Qualcomm’s involvement, the clinic had extremely unreliable fixed line communications that often failed due to the harsh mountainous terrain. Today, medical specialists from around the world communicate with the clinic in real time to complete pre- and post-operative assessments of patients. Furthermore, through the use of wireless technology, nurses travel to surrounding areas to visit patients that are unable to travel to the clinic on their own. Another Wireless Reach partner, FACES Foundation, provides critical maxillofacial, cleft lip and cleft palate surgery and remote post-operative speech therapy. Using 3G wireless connectivity, a laptop and a webcam, doctors conduct speech therapy sessions from the United States and have changed how health care is provided in extremely rural villages in northern Peru.

• Capitol City Medical Teams
• FACES Foundation
• Kausay Wasi Health Clinic

Wireless Access for Health (WAH) utilizes 3G wireless technology to enable a locally developed electronic health record system. In the Philippines, local health care providers compile and report public health data to the Field Health Service Information System (FHSIS), which is the major source of data used for policy analysis and planning. The WAH project aims to streamline this reporting process by building on and strengthening the existing Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS), an electronic medical record system developed by the University of the Philippines Manila. CHITS improves patient care and access to public health information by consolidating data captured during patient visits into reports for health care workers in four health units in the Tarlac region of the Philippines.

“Wireless Access for Health is truly beneficial for the entire public health system, from patients to doctors to health care authorities at the local, regional and national level. The system’s accurate and timely submission of health data is important in helping the government to identify and prevent disease outbreaks across the Philippines.”

– Dr. Ricardo P. Ramos, Chief of Tarlac Provincial Health Unit

Results at the conclusion of the pilot phase, which recorded over 12,000 patient consultations, indicate that such a system is not only feasible and improves patient care in rural health clinics, but also has a real impact for decision makers by providing them with accurate and timely health data that allows them to identify and prevent disease outbreaks across the Philippines.

Partners

• Local government units in Tarlac
• Philippines Department of Health
• RTI International
• Smart Communications
• University of the Philippines Manila - National Telehealth Center
• USAID
• Tarlac State University
• Tarlac Provincial Health Office

In Portugal, Wireless Reach is working with Portugal Telecom Foundation and local hospitals and rehabilitation clinics on a three-pronged project that helps connect people with disabilities, mainly focused on those with paralysis and Cerebral Palsy. Each of the three projects addresses a different group of people in need with specially developed text-to speech software and hardware to provide them with connectivity and the ability to communicate. Portugal Telecom’s GRID software is used on mobile phones and laptops that can be attached to wheelchairs, which allows people to type using symbols and communicate with caregivers and loved ones. For the severely paralyzed, special eye-tracking devices and control buttons used with one’s cheek are helpful, allowing participants to type using the GRID and use text-to-speech capabilities.

“Social inclusion is greatly increased by the use of wireless technologies. These projects will target individuals with severe disabilities in all age groups to provide the technology to create new opportunities for them to better participate in society.”

– Zenial Bava, CEO, Portugal Telecom

Partners

• Portugal Telecom Foundation

The Mobile Health Information System (MHIS) project was designed to improve the ability of health workers in urban and rural health care settings to care for their patients by providing them with locally relevant, reliable and accurate clinical information at the point of care through the deployment of commercially available, Internet-capable smart phones pre-loaded with a library of pertinent resources. Each device provides access to a pre-loaded library of clinical and educational resources developed by AED-SATELLIFE as well as dynamic Internet content accessed through wireless broadband connectivity provided by MTN-South Africa.

“Since I was introduced to the device in January 2009, I have been using it on a daily basis - the device as well as the mobile library loaded on it. I love that I can access health information at the point of care, as I do not always have the time to go to the library. The device is loaded with so much relevant and interesting content that it is hard not to want to read more. It has kept me up-to-date with other health information that I rarely come to deal with.”

– Rochelle Gelandt, Registered Nurse, Livingstone Hospital ARV Wellness Clinic

Partners

• AED-SATELLIFE, Centre for Health Information and Technology
• MTN, South Africa
• Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Department of Nursing Science
• The Eastern Cape Department of Health, through its Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex
• The Henry E. Niles Foundation
• The John M. Lloyd Foundation

Collaborating with the City of Seoul, Community Chest of Seoul, Korea Telecom and MacroEye, Wireless Reach is supporting a pilot to help seniors stay connected. A team of 500 caregivers throughout South Korea, called “Helpers,” visit elderly participants in their homes once every few weeks to check their health and welfare. The pilot, now in Phase II, gives 5,000 seniors a small, lightweight device called SHOWCare, which uses Qualcomm mirasol™ display technology. It also provides 500 mobile handsets to the Helpers to assist with efficient and timely care of the elderly in cases of emergency, as well as preventative health care needs.

“Through the expansion of this program, low-income and disabled senior citizens in South Korea are better able to lead healthy, independent lives.”

– Dong-soo Kim, President, Community Chest of Seoul

Services and applications include: automatic reception, providing direct access to a Helper by allowing senior citizens to be heard and seen by the caregiver even when they are unable to reach the device; direct access, devices are programmed for direct dialing to the Seoul Family Helper helpline; and remote functionality, enabling Helpers to establish personalized communications with senior citizens using video, photos and other applications. This device also allows Helpers to check on the participants without having to wait for scheduled visits.

Partners

• City of Seoul
• Community Chest of Seoul
• Korea Telecom
• MacroEye

The project provides high-tech applications and smartphones which will contribute to improving the convenience and efficiency of the national health survey. The annual survey is conducted by the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) to promote public health and prevent disease. Investigators are expected to benefit from the phones, not only in terms of work efficiency and convenience in data collection, but also in terms of safety.

“The national health survey process will be upgraded through cooperation with Qualcomm and we will make an effort to expand and further develop this project in the future. We will continuously seek new methods to enhance public health by employing cutting-edge technology.”

– Dr. Lee Jong-koo, Director & Deputy Minister, Korean Centers for Disease Control

The smartphone application, which has been developed by Hubilion,a location-based solutions company, will provide investigative officials with schedule management, emergency paging, and location information services. In addition, it will enable two-way data transmission between the KCDC center and investigators by utilizing the 3G wireless network, thereby enhancing the efficiency of various data transmissions such as reserving inspection times and checking investigation feasibility.

Partners

• Hubilon
• Korea Centers for Disease Control

Since 2008, Wireless Reach has been working with Vodafone Spain Foundation and the Spanish Red Cross on a social inclusion pilot for senior citizens called “3G for All Generations.” Using a video conferencing system, a wireless HSPA modem, a desktop phone configured for pre-programmed dialing, and a 3G handset with videoconferencing capabilities on Vodafone’s network, elderly participants are able to connect with care workers at the Red Cross call center and with family members. The pilot began with 100 participants and the response has been so positive that it has been expanded to include 150 elderly people, as well as approximately 200 relatives. In addition, working with the Spanish Deaf Association, the service has been expanded to assist a group of hearing impaired seniors using text messaging, sign language and pictograms.

“The 3G for All Generations project not only provides the elderly with tools to lead independent lives, but it also grants access to the latest communications technologies, giving them the opportunity to actively participate in the 21st century.”

– José Luis Ripoll, President, Vodafone Spain Foundation

Through this program, elderly citizens have been given the tools to remain independent longer, enabling them to continue to live in their own homes, improving their quality of life. Participants report that the video conferencing system is easy to use and helps them stay connected, healthy and socially integrated.

Partners

• Vodafone Spain Foundation
• Spanish Red Cross

The Technology for Life project, supported by Wireless Reach, helps improve health care throughout Thailand’s rural areas. Fifty health clinics and hospitals in nine provinces in northern, northeastern and southern Thailand within the Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation’s network have been provided wireless connectivity, computers and webcams.

“With EV-DO technology, physicians around the country can stay connected and share their invaluable expertise for the greater benefit of their patients.”

– Phisal Jorpochaudom, President, CAT Telecom

Patients at participating clinics now have the ability to communicate with doctors in major cities via CAT Telecom's 3G broadband Internet connection. By using a computer and webcam, doctors assist in diagnosing and providing consultation on various medical conditions. In addition, administrators in rural clinics can now send reports and updates regularly via the Internet to provincial public health offices, major hospitals and the Ministry of Public Health.

Partners

• CAT Telecom Public Company Limited
• Huawei Technology Company Limited
• Ministry of Public Health of Thailand
• Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation