HLink Inc. Refer with Confidence

Poor referral networks cause patients to go to the wrong healthcare facilities, resulting in delayed treatments, hospital overload and greater risk of disease spread, disproportionately impacting low income patients. With the HLink digital platform, healthcare workers and first responders can efficiently make hospital referral decisions with up-to-date availability information and exact locations of required life-saving healthcare resources. Appointments are booked on behalf of patients via the app and with the integration of third party messaging channels such as USSD and WhatsApp, referral information can reach patients even in the most remote regions. HLink provides speedy and efficient access to health care while conserving the healthcare economy.  The seamless communication and feedback loop system within the community of healthcare workers allows for continuity of care. Furthermore, the appropriate distribution of patient influx across the different cadres of healthcare reserves resources for critical patients while preventing personnel burnout. 

Poor intercommunication systems in many African countries create faulty referrals that in turn lead to delayed treatments, hospital overload and greater risk of disease spread from lack of treatment and increased waiting times. In Mozambique, there are 0.03 doctors and 0.21 nurses per 1000 population which is below the World Health Organization recommendation of 2.5. [1] As a result, healthcare facilities face over-utilization and patients experience longer wait times for treatment with a average wait-time for outpatient consultation of 43 minutes 30 seconds. The communities heavily rely on the informal health sector which comprises the community healthcare workers. Due to the communication gaps, services from these personnel hit the same road block when critical patients have to be referred to higher management levels. Without the appropriate referral tools, they are met with the challenges of insufficient information of whereabouts of required resources while referring patients for management. This same problem is encountered at higher levels of healthcare also. 

1. Lagos State Government, Niger Med J. 2015 Sep-Oct; 56(5): 305–310, Sci Data. 2019; 6: 134.

HLink is a digital referral application and exists on the web, Android and iOs currently. It employs Geographic Information System technology to give information of the exact location where required medical resources are situated. Up-to-date data of medical resources such as available beds, ventilators and so on are gotten partly from out partners at VillageReach, the rest is organically generated from stakeholder facilities.

Our unique referral process is outlined below: 

• Community healthcare worker (CWH) or other medical practitioner (MP)  finds a healthcare service required

• CHW/MP refers patient through inputting patient data on our platform 

• Healthcare facilities/laboratories/pharmacies receive a referral notification

• They review patient data and referral information

• Acceptance is made if healthcare service required can be met

• CHW/MP receives notification of the accepted referral

• CHW/MP sends patient referral details through integrated communication modes (e.g. SMS/USSD/WhatsApp)

Our target population of users are healthcare workers involved in the patient-referral process with emphasis on first responders such as the community healthcare workers in the informal health sector in Beira, Sofala Province, Mozambique. HLink has an secured ongoing relationships with the organization of community health care workers and health professionals such as Ordem dos Medicos in our bid to understand challenges of the patient referral process. Without appropriate tools and information, they are often confused as to the appropriate places to refer patients to in time of need - places were the required medical services are certainly available. From them, we also found that patients are often not certain of where to seek help from in light of a medical challenge. Their feedback has been helpful throughout the empathy phase, testing and general process of product development. 

Poor intercommunication systems in many African countries create faulty referrals that in turn lead to delayed treatments, hospital overload, burnout and greater risk of disease spread from lack of treatment and increased waiting times. HLink is an innovative, scalable and integrated communication system for health care workers and facilities, which digitally provides up-to-date availability information of facilities and resources such as specialty physicians, resources for tests and medical interventions. We target community healthcare workers in the informal health sector all the way up to providers at the tertiary level, offering a seamless referral feedback loop between healthcare stakeholders.

Our product is currently in its final stages of development, marketing has begun and we are almost set for the pilot phase with the funding awarded by the Islamic Development Bank.