This year has seen numerous IT in healthcare innovations in Africa, with several private and public initiatives launching in SA. While many have been mobile-based, the initiatives reflect a growing smartphone presence, while solutions also range from patient care to making doctors' daily routines more efficient.
These are some of the projects that have been unveiled to the South African market this year:
GSMA m-health drive
The GSM Association unveiled a smart health ecosystem consisting of mobile network operators, manufacturers and health technology innovators in order to create an easily-accessible range of solutions for African cellphone users. The mobile health (m-health) solution wants to tap into its vast range of companies to build a following across the continent.
Government's m-health foray
The Department of Health roped in SA's biggest mobile network operators to help the MomConnect initiative gain traction. The SMS-based service gives pregnant women information and advice on pregnancy, while also acting as a channel to notify the department about poor service at clinics and hospitals. Government wants to be the go-to mobile solution for pregnant South African women.
Aviro app
As World Aids Day was observed this week, one tech solution is specifically geared to help dispensing anti-retroviral treatments more efficient. The Aviro ART Treatment Mentor Android app recently began a pilot project with nurses at Khayelitsha Hospital in the Western Cape. It is tailored to HIV healthcare workers, who use it as a decision-making support tool when providing antiretroviral treatment to patients.
Global Health Innovation Accelerator (GHIA)
International health innovation solutions will be studied, optimised for local conditions and introduced to the South African public as part of the GHIA. Run by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) alongside international non-profit organisation Path, the GHIA aims to "fast-track the most promising technologies to address the health needs of low-resource communities". Dr Tony Bunn, medical technology consultant at the SAMRC, says once a technological solution has been identified as being appropriate for a developing country's health system, "we will take it and re-engineer where necessary in order for it to be effective".
Health info system in Johannesburg
The City of Johannesburg is running the pilot of the HealthSource (THS) - an electronic patient record-keeping system that follows the health of individuals over time, irrespective of healthcare provider, place of residence or source of funding for the healthcare. THS is being trialled at Slovoville Clinic, south of the city, and was initially developed by mining giant Anglo American.
RecoMed
This Web-based portal isn't so much a healthcare solution than it is a means to raise the online presence of healthcare professionals. Inspired by US-based portal ZocDoc, RecoMed uses social functionality with information services, allowing users to search for doctors in their area, review their experiences, compare qualifications as well as book appointments online. According to the company, more than 4 000 doctors are already on the platform, while even more are targeted by training receptionists at participating practices to use the booking system.
Figure 1 app for doctors
This tool enables doctors to share photos with fellow healthcare professionals and medical students, while protecting patient privacy by blocking out their faces. Figure 1 is currently available in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In a bid to address rising privacy concerns, a post on the app's Web site stated: "We know that patient privacy is a priority for healthcare professionals, and we have designed Figure 1 with that firmly in mind. We take patient privacy extremely seriously, and we have worked hard to provide a tool that reflects that."
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