Medical Info-technology

THE PROJECT

In conjunction with Frontline SMS:Medic, we are introducing the first text-message based medical information system in Mali. Community Health Workers working for the Action for Health Program will be supplied a cell-phone, and text their patient’s medical history directly to an electronic medical records system housed at the clinic. The possible uses of this program are endless: A health worker in the field could send an emergency note to a doctor in the clinic four kilometers away or a doctor could track the weight of a malnutrition patient without the child coming in every week.  

Frontline SMS: Medic believes Text messages save lives The innovative approach uses free, open-source software to expand communications in the most remote of areas - using little more than cell phones. Alex Harsha has been charged with making Frontline SMS:Medic work for MHOP. She has seen a similar Frontline SMS project succeed in Malawi, making her "confident that we can replicate and build on those successes here at MHOP."

THE INNOVATION

Combined SMS and EMR. Frontline SMS is a leader in the medical text field, but they have never directly linked text-message to an Electronic Medical Records system. This will be one of the first combined programs in the world! 

Increased oversight. Through the real-time capabilities of text-message, doctors and other trained medical professionals will be able to supervise Community Health Workers and provide instant feedback on the treatment required for a sick child.

Patient follow-up. Paper medical records kept by the patient can be easily lost or damaged. An Electronic Medical Records system will allow doctors to track patients from the local clinic to the regional hospital. In partnership with the National Department for Medical Info-technology, we will someday expand our EMR system to all of the health facilities in Bamako.

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