Bridging Gaps in Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease in Rural India

Background:

The insurmountable challenge of making healthcare accessible in remote communities

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now an epidemic in India. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of all cardiovascular deaths in Indian populations are premature. 

Treatment of CVD is influenced by age, distance to healthcare, and socioeconomic position. While diagnosing it is challenging, receiving treatment is a more significant challenge in rural India. It is characterized by the paucity of trained private sector service providers, healthcare equipment, and supplies. 

The Problem:

Existing healthcare services are not designed to serve marginalized populations

Poor knowledge and awareness of CVD coupled with the unavailability of medical care facilities as well as services lead to poor management of the disease in rural regions. 

Early diagnosis of CVD is critical to better disease outcomes, but the primary healthcare providers’ capacity to screen, test, and treat cardiovascular risk factors and diseases is seriously lacking.

Our Goal:

A logistically light plug-and-play solution that makes the most of the existing infrastructure

Improve the patients’ long-term health through early and more efficient intervention and ease the economic burden on the health system by preventing more serious and costly health complications and alleviating pressure on healthcare workers.

To achieve this, we had to design a portable and simple point-of-care solution that leverages the existing tech infrastructure to help primary healthcare providers screen, test, and treat cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. 

Design Process:

We followed the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) design approach to create a viable solution in a short span. It is an iterative process based on constant user feedback and remains user-focused throughout. It aims to tackle problems or address needs in unique ways. It is an opportunity to set a benchmark in the industry.

Research methods used

User interviews

Process mapping

Case studies and report referral

Solution

The solution was to design a simple, user-friendly application for frontline health workers that would help them share data from electrocardiographic screenings done in rural regions with specialist providers at the district level. This application would quickly flag cases that called for prompt treatment through timely referrals.

To ensure its universal application from remote rural settings to war-torn inaccessible regions, we made use of standardized healthcare units to represent data. The connectivity to portable ECG devices was crucial as well. 

Screens + Key Highlights:

A portable 12-lead ECG device can be attached to computers, mobile phones, and tablets for use in primary care, expanding the coverage of CVD care even in remote rural settings.

Each Primary Health Center (PHC) doctor uses the mobile ECG device connected to our custom-designed cloud-based application.

The PHC doctor scans the patient’s AADHAR card to authenticate their identity. 

The system picks patient details such as name, age, and date of birth from the government-mandated national registry.

The PHC doctor adds the symptoms and risk factors, including the patient’s and their family’s medical history.

The dashboard of the Specialist provider highlights new cases and lists updates on existing cases. It also displays community-wise population health trends to help spot patterns or anomalies.

The Specialist can click on a case to explore patient details to take the right course of action for laying out the treatment plan.