Mobile broadband improves health systems

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations’ Broadband Commission for Digital Development underscored the role that Internet and mobile technologies play in improving health systems, particularly in poor and developing countries. 

The report, which was released in September, cited growing evidence that mobile broadband is making a difference in the lives of people around the world and helping accelerate progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). 

It offers major opportunities to advance socio-economic development, like providing access to health information and making service delivery possible even to far-flung communities.

 “Using information systems in conjunction with health databases and Global Information Systems can help ensure health support and education are delivered where they are most needed,” according to the Broadband Commission report. 

“ICT connectivity is not a panacea, but when integrated effectively with existing systems, it can facilitate new services and help deliver the best results,” the report added. 

While the Philippines remained one of the laggards among the 177 countries that were surveyed by the Commission in terms broadband connectivity, it has made significant inroads in utilizing mobile broadband as a tool to make a tangible difference in the lives of Filipinos, particularly in the area of healthcare.

 Wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. has made use of technological platforms — first mobile and now mobile broadband — to enable access to health-care services earlier out of reach to millions of Filipinos that own a mobile device.

Pioneering mobile health or mHealth in the country, Smart has successfully deployed award-winning mobile and web-based applications that seek to improve health systems and the way healthcare is being delivered to patients even in the remotest of barangays. 

Smart is currently the only Philippine telco that has ventured and invested in mHealth — the practice of medicine and public health supported by wireless communication devices such as mobile phones and tablet computers.

Smart’s award-winning Project SHINE (Secured Health Information Network and Exchange) is a hosted electronic health information and referral system, which can be accessed by a Java-capable phone or a computer with Internet connectivity (www1.shine.ph).

Its four primary features of Record, Remind, Refer, and Report all contributed to more efficient, complete, and timely access to information across different health facilities. 

The Family Health SMS is the mobile application for SHINE’s Reminder feature that supports notifications for maternal health, immunization, tuberculosis, and general health messages. Sent via SMS, the notifications can be programmed at specific periods in the healthcare continuum.

Patients will then be reminded to return for follow-up visits and be referred to hospitals for the appropriate level of care. The Family Health SMS was piloted early this year in several health centers in Iloilo City. 

 Smart, in partnership with the Physicians for Peace-Philippines (PfP), has also rolled out ASCENT or the Amputee Screening via CEllphone NeTworking. This award-winning mobile and web application allows PfP to provide real-time evaluation and advice on prosthesis use to amputees in communities where such service is previously not available. 

Using ASCENT, PfP and other health volunteers have already successfully screened close to 300 amputees since 2010 in various medical missions in Quezon City, Pampanga, Romblon, and as far as Digos in Davao del Sur.

A similar application, OpSmile Mobile, was launched late last year for Operation Smile. The mobile app facilitates paperless registration and records of patients with cleft conditions.  Using the app, Operation Smile volunteers can take photos of patients using a mobile phone camera, key in patient information, and send the data to a central web-based database.

Both ASCENT and the OpSmile mobile apps were developed by the Ateneo Java Wireless Center in partnership with Smart. 

In Tarlac, patient-handling has gone nearly paperless, thanks to the Wireless Access for Health initiative. In 19 of the 26 pilot sites, personal and medical data are directly keyed into the clinic database using computers, mobile phones, and Smart’s Internet service. 

This involves equipping rural health clinics with netbooks and wireless broadband connectivity to support the computerization of patients’ medical records using a web-based information system for barangay health centers, and the transmission of vital information to health authorities.  Internet mobile phones would also be deployed for testing in barangay health centers for data gathering. 

This is a multi-stakeholder project led by Qualcomm, the Department of Health, Tarlac provincial government, Tarlac State University, USAID, and Research Triangle Institute (RTI) with Smart as the telco partner.