Summary
doctHERs is a novel healthcare marketplace that connects female doctHERS to millions of under served patients in real-time while leveraging technology. DoctHERS circumvents socio-cultural barriers that restrict women to their homes, while correcting two market failures: access to quality healthcare and gainful employment. •doctHERS can access urban /rural patients through mobile and internet enabled technologies/video-conferencing •Trained, trusted community Nurses/ Health Workers/Midwives assist DoctHERS in assessing patients at ‘point-of-care’ using diagnostic tools which creates a new ‘healthcare value chain. •DoctHERS can leverage mobile banking technology to provide a cashless, digital payment solution to collect all user fees.
Details
The Problem:
According to Pakistan Medical and Dental Association, out of 132,988 doctors 58,789 are women yet only 7524 are specialized physicians. Hence for every 600,000 people there are only 50,000 to 60000 doctors. In the same Pakistan 90% of the rural population lacks access to quality medical health .Stuck in this crisis, millions of marginalized women face unnecessary high maternal-child mortality/morbidity, sadly in the presence of promising doctors. it behooves us to question how we can use technology to bridge this gap?
The Solution
doctHERs is a novel healthcare marketplace that connects female doctHERS to millions of underserved patients in real-time while leveraging technology. DoctHERS circumvents socio-cultural barriers that restrict women to their homes, while correcting two market failures: access to quality healthcare and gainful employment. •doctHERS can access urban /rural patients through mobile and internet enabled technologies/video-conferencing •Trained, trusted community Nurses/ Health Workers/Midwives assist DoctHERS in assessing patients at ‘point-of-care’ using diagnostic tools which creates a new ‘healthcare value chain. •DoctHERS can leverage mobile banking technology to provide a cashless, digital payment solution to collect all user fees.
Impact
Through the 1st tele health clinic in an urban slum in Karachi,100 urban- slum dwellers have had access to quality primary care • 50 women have been examined in Ante/Post Natal care visits • 1Telehealth-facilitated OB/GYN consultations have led to 10+ safe hospital deliveries • We are embarking on a pilot to train 100 Community Health Workers on hand-held diagnostics, guided by home-based doctHERs • Creating access to approx 1000 female physicians in Pakistan & diaspora • Launching a Tech-enabled Community Clinic with DHA Services in Karachi • Finalizing Media and PR outreach including a national Health TV program series Qualitative: • Increase recruitment, retention and re-entry of women into workforce • Quality and affordable health interventions for marginalized • Positive social impact for women. (Detailed report attached)
Sustainability Plan
DoctHERs will charge 100 Rupees (1.00$) per patient/virtual clinic in the rural communities and 300 Rupees (3.00$) per visit using mobile financial services (patients will be able transfer digital payments to the doctHERs mobile bank account via a mobile banking service). Of this, 50% will go to the doctHERs, 25% will go to the Community Health Workers respectively depending on the rural and urban community . 15% will cover our operating expenses and 10% will be net profit.
Marketplace
Opportunities remain untapped for collaborations across urban/rural divide & underutilized workforce with Key Innovators •Aman Health (Tele-healthline, Ambulatory Care) •Marie Stopes (Reproductive Health) •Naya Jeevan (Health Insurance for marginalized)•HealtheConnex (outsource service provider-data interchange) DIH strives to create a value-based health marketplace that engages multiple private/public/philanthropic stakeholders & encourages transparent sharing of best practices across sectors. This new health ‘ecosystem’ should result in enhanced 2.0 version of healthcare delivery
Awards and Recognition
• Winner of G.E. Ashoka Changemakers, Women Empowering Work (MENA).
• Winner of Rec@nnect Challenge by CRDF Global.
• Finalist for Unilever Sustainable Living – Young Entrepreneurs
• Finalist for ChallengeX Islamabad
• Semi – Finalists for Echoing Green (2014).
Conducting the Prototype
Prototype of doctHERs was conducted from the 1st of Feburary 2014 to the 31st of July 2014, for a period of 6 months. The target population for the prototype was Sultanabad, which is an urban slum located in Karachi and is a pashtun dense community.
Sultanabad was selected for the prototype as there was a Community health center already working in the area under the umbrella of Naya Jeevan, the parent organization of doctHERs. Also, the cultural diversity as well as the social and cultural restraints in the community made it a favorable entrant for the prototype.
The clinic was inaugurated through a small opening ceremony in which the community elders and heads were invited. They were given a brief introduction of doctHERs. The prototype was mainly focused on maternal and child health care, which was also the main issue of concern in the community.
To set up the clinic, we first acquired the help of a trained paramedic who would be the eyes and ears of the doctHERs on the patient’s side. She was a trained mid wife, as well as qualified surgical nurse having appropriate experience of history taking, examination and writing down patient notes as instructed by the docthHER. A flat screen was set along with 2 separate microphones, so that the privacy of the patient would not be disturbed.
A total of 100 patients were seen via video consultation through a doctHER assisted by nurse. 60 antenatal, 23 infertility, and 16 gynecological Patients were seen in 6 months and more than seven safe deliveries were referred through our docthers.
At the end of the study following conclusions were recorded:
• The feasibility of technology was to be established and a specialized dedicated software was required catering to the technological innovation of Docthers.
• The cultural constraints were to be looked out for choosing the community for Docthers.
• The primary Health issues to be focused will always remain the women related health issue but other specialties can be tapped as well.
• Project will pilot in 10 clinics in different rural and urban populations to establish proof of concept.
Interests
Mobile/Gaming
01/Founders
Dr. Sara Saeed
02/Shepherds
No Shepherd Added yet
03/Mentors
No Mentor Added yet
04/Team
