Stronger fight against diseases by digitising data and strengthening connectivity

The medical industry may be said to have a love-hate relationship with the visible acquisition of data. It is the first to argue, and appropriately so, for confidentiality when it comes to patient information. At the same time, it requires rigorous research and the ruthless assessment of gathered information to study things inimical to public health, such as trending illnesses and the discovery of possible breakthrough treatments. Now, that deadlock may finally be breached to a small degree by the medical community’s gradual embrace of digital tools that track patients’ medical histories, the well-being of entire communities, and the development of medical conditions that entire regions should be aware of.

First on the pipeline for some areas is the creation and strengthening of internet connectivity in rural areas that suffer because of their structural weaknesses. A group of Kiwi medical practitioners formed the Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand (RHANZ) to bring connectivity to the country’s so-called “black spots” or remote places that still do not have internet access.

The 42-member-strong organisation says that communication is vital to the medical well-being of these areas, as health providers would want real-time access to the internet for research and email to reach out to their clients. In a report by Scoop , RHANZ also issued a statement which described plans of providing internet linkages between patients and the clinics they visit. The absence of such links can slow down the recovery of patients who desperately need to get in touch with their health providers.

Bangladesh, too, has its share of remote areas and it using tablets as a way to go around the connectivity problem. In the new pilot programme launched by the government, health care providers are given a tablet each and they are asked to conduct a health survey of families. Parents and children alike are quizzed about their medical history, past and present illnesses, dietary habits, injuries suffered in accidents, and other aspects that can help create a medical profile for each of them.

As covered by The Dhaka Times, all these information from the tablets is digitised and stored in the Rural Health Information System (RHIS). Physicians and other medical researchers can study these growing data to form illness-preventive programs, combat mortality rates and call attention to spreading diseases.

The portable devices are meant to work in areas where connectivity remains a challenge. However, the issue of strengthening it cannot be skirted with indefinitely, especially as the government plans a population registration system that will organise and make accessible information such as births, deaths and causes of deaths, all of which provide the initial data vital to planning a health system.

“Connectivity must be brought to the remote areas which many have deemed difficult,” says Gil Amelio, the president of tech company 5BARz International, Inc . (OTCQB: BARZ) which created and manufactures the disruptive device known as the network extender . “Our own invention shows it can be done. The network extender powers up weak cell signals in mountainous areas, rural villages, and off-the-beaten-track towns where a more formal IT infrastructure has not yet caught up.” The portage plug-and-play device has gained traction in many countries and even reduced the call-drop rate in India.

A strong connection can also bring the medical community into frontiers that previously were once confined to the realms of science-fiction. In Europe, the Innovative Medicines Initiative recently launched the RADAR-CNS (Remote assessment of disease and relapse Central Nervous System) project, which uses the smartphone and wearable technology to monitor the well-being of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and other nerve illnesses. The situation, as reported by Multiple Sclerosis Today , is like a scene out of Star Trek: the patients wearing these devices can check their physical health at any given time, and respond to attacks before they even happen.

It is only a matter of time before this medical marvel becomes available on a greater scale to those who need it. However, first things must come first. Build connectivity especially in the most challenging places. Invest in the infrastructure and the devices that can support them. Align the technology with the medical community. Then, watch as the health of those concerned regions gets an upgrade.