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ClickDiagnostics: A Micro-Entrepreneurship Based Model to Transform Healthcare Delivery through Mobile Telemedicine

ClickDiagnostics addresses two main healthcare issues in developing countries: 1. Access to medical specialists in under-served regions; 2. Collection of real-time data for interventions in areas such as maternal mortality, cancer or AIDS.      

ClickDiagnostics connects health workers on the ground, via mobile phone software, to a central server. This model enables the following essential services:
1. Allow doctors on their own time to provide consultations which can later be relayed to the patient.
2. Gather data and upload the data whenever connectivity is available.
3. Convey automatic warnings or actions to field workers.
 

The back-end network is an open system which enables rapid deployment of any new health-related solution (created by ClickDiagnostics or by a third party) that involves mobile phone-based data gathering/dissemination, efficient communication among health-related stakeholders and distributed, centralized human or machine processing.  

ClickDiagnostics provides governments and NGOs an entire "health eco-system", an end-to-end service chain, containing the following: 1) mobile phone software and inexpensive medical tools for local health-care agents, 2) web-based interface for remote specialists, 3) backend system for data routing, intelligent analysis, quality control and auto-flagging of health hazards, 4) network of "remote" medical specialists, and 5) service quality control through regular monitoring and supervision.  

By providing the technological eco-system, we enable local clinics and even micro-entrepreneurs to disseminate the model where it is needed most, allowing market forces to determine demand and speed growth throughout the developing world.

Project Details
Project video: 
Project Assessment
Financial support: 
Project has financial support
Sustainability Model: 
Our model is based on the premise that all stakeholders in the service chain should have adequate economic incentives. Our revenues come from fees paid by patient for remote specialist consultation and from NGOs and governments willing to develop a platform for gathering patient information. The sustainability of our model is hinged on being able to provide multiple services using a common platform.  Additional funds will be used to assess needs for our services in more developing countries.  
Expertise needed: 
Technical Expertise: <p><font color="#555555">To get involved in development and enhancement of mobile phone based applications.</font></p>
Other: To get involved in fundraising  and identification of in-country implementation partners  to expand to more regions.
Marketing/Media Expertise: To market the services of ClickDiagnostics to governments and NGOs in different countries.
Project goals: 
May 2008: Won MIT 100K Business Plan Competition Development Track.May 2008: Incorporated.June 2008: Established partnerships with government and local NGOs to pilot service in north Africa.July 2008: Finalized partnership with Telederm/Africa and UPenn-Botswana  to implement tele-dermatology service in Malawi, Botswana, and Ghana.Oct 2008: Began partnership with  local NGOs  to develop maternal  mortality risk assessment  services and breast-cancer screening service in Bangladesh.Nov 2008: Launched clinic-based mobile teledermatology service pilot in a major city in the developing world.
Identified Obstacles: 
Potential obstacles include establishing relationships with local health organizations such as clinics, hospitals, governmental ministries, NGOs, and local doctors who are needed to implement and provide services using the ClickDiagnostics platform.    Another obstacle is in securing sufficient funds to expand operations in additional regions.  

On ClickDiagnostics

Interesting initiative. I think I heard of this from other sources in Boston too. Only issue is, the application (mobile phone software, backend system)  that the ClickD is using to  capture and transmit data using the cellphone  is proprietary. Wish they could release the application as open source.

ClickDiagnostics represents

ClickDiagnostics represents exciting new opportunities in mobile health services.  Their business model seems viable, and it will be interesting to see the business scale. Best wishes!

 

Rafiq Ahmed

Motorola Mobile Devices  

Remote data collection

I love this program, since it provides an one-stop-shop solution to a complex challenge with multiple obstacles.

What kind of technology does the program use to transmit data back to HQ from within the last, unconnected mile?   Is it via satelite, for example, or maybe a mesh network such as that deployed by Intelesense.net?

Great idea, and good luck.

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