SMS BASED PATIENT REFERRAL SYSTEM Enock Rukundo Project

“SMS BASED, PATIENT REFERRAL SYSTEM” Enock Rukundo Project Stretch goal Kigali Health Institute (KHI) Kigali, Rwanda

Project Background…short story! My Dad and 6 transfers. . Purpose driven goal…) My poor Dad received 6 different medical transfers üFrom the HC üTo the District Hospital üThen Provincial Hospital üTo the Military Hospital üThe Referral Hospital üTo the High-level Private Hospital (Rich. . ) üAnd finally to the Military Hospital again (Mutual de Santé support laboratory exams).

Problem Statement. . . Under Construction…. . • Referrer data • Rwandan Government Priorities

Anticipated Solution Architecture. . . Critical steps: • Sender submits an sms with patient case details; structured format: ID patient no, content • The filter application makes verification actions i. e format rules • The intermediary filter application re-shapes text sms’s into readable web based or emails formats and sent to the operator/moderator. • Moderator reads case details and decides the final decision or which specialist(s) most appropriate to the case in question • An automatic email sent to the specialist or sender • Specialists logs in the server, reads the case history and provides a response to the moderator and the sender • Referrer reads response from the operator/moderator • The referrer reports action being taken (transfer details)

Work-in-Progress… Blue Binder Checklist & Bottlenecks. . . Critical Control Factors: • • • Field workers trained Professional buy-in Efficient moderator/playing a vital role/important factor Organizational set-up Create specific interests for the cause Impact measurements for the patient and health facilities (hospitals) /demonstration of specific community interests

Work-in-Progress… Blue Binder Checklist & Bottlenecks. . . Benefits: • First and foremost this referral system is a network of people who trust each other and want to collaborate, capacity building and social engineering are thus very important. • Improve access to health care; • Enhance the quality of service delivery; • Improve the effectiveness of public health and primary care interventions; • Improve the global shortage of health professionals through collaboration and training