9thDigit
From studies, we found that Tuberculosis (TB) case finding has been a major challenge for both adults and children in Nigeria. According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria is among the ten countries that account for 64% of the global gap in TB case finding. In 2017, only 104,904 TB cases were notified out of an estimated 407,000 expected TB cases. This indicates a treatment coverage of just 25.8% with nearly three-quarter of expected TB cases in Nigeria missing and unaccounted for.
2.9million people with TB have no access to medical help – Every minute 3 people die of TB
Our solution is a one-stop cloud-based health ecosystem that leverages on Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to connect users to a comprehensive online and offline health resources with a fair commitment to a social health insurance coverage.
Upon subscription, “a unique Identification Number (IDN) which when activated, grants users’ access to a wealth of quality health resources such as: diagnosis, remote family doctor, health information, self-care service, appointment scheduling, drugs and notifications etc.” is been issued.
The solution maximizes WhatsApp Chat Bot API as a first point of contact due to its user coverage; aggressive compression algorithms that reduces the size of shared media (photos, video) to save bandwidth and end-to-end encryption technology.
The solution works such that, it interacts intelligently with other APIs such as: Symptom Checker, EMR, National Health Insurance Repository, Payment Gateways, GPS Services and health providers inventories etc.
For subsequent follow-on health check, user(patients) are redirected to our mobile App where such services are been rendered.
Government
Impact - Reduced mortality rate; Internally generated revenue; Health surveillance data for decision support.
Providers
Impact - Increase in Reach; Less clinician burnout; More clinical contribution; Digital record management.
Patients
Impacts - Shortened length of in-clinic stays; Ease of assessment with Labs and purchase of authentic Drugs. Diagnostic accuracy.
Our team members lives, schooled and works within Nigeria. They understand the healthcare problem and have shared from it one way or the other.
One of the key things that was done during our development stage was to conduct an interview to understand our customers pain point. This help us define our objective and design our prototype.
- Build fundamental, resilient, and people-centered health infrastructure that makes essential services, equipment, and medicines more accessible and affordable for communities that are currently underserved;
- Pilot
We hope to raise funds to meet our respective milestones.
- Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
Through the use of Machine Learning Technology:
1. Our solution ascertains diagnostic accuracy with a supporting recommendation validation by a live physician.
2. We compare patients digital data (social media, health records, demographic, wealth index etc.) so we can proffer a person-centered value based health cost.
3. Patients can compare health insurance service providers to guide their subscription.
4. Inventorized drugs and consumables in geolocated pharmacy's are easily located to ease purchase.
5. communicable disease surveillance is done from our dashboard.
Smoking, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity are lifestyle behaviors resulting in the development of chronic diseases, specifically heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and some types of cancer which are termed "western disease"
These chronic diseases can result in loss of independence, years of disability, or death, and they impose a considerable economic burden on health services.
Yet, based on disease occurrence and the burgeoning population rise, predicted cases are under-reported, unaccounted for or missing. this is a major reason disease case finding is expedient at their infancy stage so proper management cycle and accountability is achieved.
Our projected impact is to achieve an improved population health through lifestyle management and building a health conscious people.
Our measurable indicators are:
1. Length of In-clinic stays
2. Level of clinicians burnout
3. Doctor to patient ratio
4. Number of Recovered patients
5. Cases of chronic disease found in their early stage.
6. number of households with insurance cover
7. volume of data generated and degree of diagnostic accuracy.
Input - Expert knowledge; funds; Technology; mentorship; training and partnership.
Activities - Partner with key digital platforms to gain insights from their data repository for decision support; Engage end-users on their health expectations; develop models for prediction of Tuberculosis spread.
Output - Completed synchronization of API Integration; sick persons can conveniently schedule consultation with physician/specialist; prediction can be simulated with inputs of key indicators.
Outcome - Improve ratio of doctor to patient; Length of In-clinic stays; Level of clinicians burnout; Number of Recovered patients; Cases of chronic disease found in their early stage; number of households with insurance cover; volume of data generated and degree of diagnostic accuracy.
Impact - Improve overall population health
Our solution is a cloud-based health ecosystem, it leverages on Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to connect its users to a comprehensive online and offline health resources.
Technology stack
Type of technology (Backend framework) - Stack (Laravel) - Description (Laravel is a PHP framework. It has a very powerful environment with plenty of ready-made integrations.)
Type of technology (Frontend framework) - Stack (React, react native) - Description (React and React Native is a technology that significantly decreases development efforts. It helps to scale the team faster. React-based apps are faster and smoother work. And they require less use of apparat memory.)
Type of technology (Push notifications) - Stack(WhatsApp) - Description ( WhatsApp Chat Bot API as a first point of contact due to its user coverage; aggressive compression algorithms that reduces the size of shared media (photos, video) to save bandwidth and end-to-end encryption technology.)
Type of technology (Database) - stack (Postgres)
Type of technology (Cloud environment) - Stack (AWS)
- A new application of an existing technology
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Big Data
- Internet of Things
- Software and Mobile Applications
- 1. No Poverty
- 3. Good Health and Well-being
- 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
- 10. Reduced Inequalities
- Nigeria
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- Uganda
- Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
The ways through which we promote DE&I are:
1. We understand biases and build awareness based on our these premise.
2. We leverage on technology and training that provides guidance on actions for moving forward in the case of managing bias.
3. We promote pay equity.
4.Develop strategic diversity training programs.
5. Acknowledge holiday's of all cultures and religions.
6. We make it easy for people to participate in employee resource groups.
7. teams are mixed up.
8. Ongoing feedbacks.
9. access company policies and
10. Track progress.
The Problem: Scarcity and uneven distribution of quality healthcare centers; Recurring misdiagnosis and therapeutic error; Missing or unaccounted, projected expected disease cases; biased model of basic social medical insurance.
Key Resources: WhatsApp Business API; Pre-assessment API; EHR API; USAID TB Data Hub; Software
Key Activities: Partner with key digital platforms to gain insights from their data repository for decision support; Engage end-users on their health expectations; Develop models for prediction of TB spread dynamics.
Partners and Key Stakeholders: Meta; National Centre for Disease Control; National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); Health Providers.
Type of Intervention: A Service
Channels: WhatsApp; 9thDigit App; HIMS; Browser Extension Plugin; Dashboards.
Value Proposition: Platform to connect patient to doctor; Shortened length of In-Clinic Stay; Improved Diagnostic Accuracy.
Consequences: Service reliability and data compromise – Engagement of multiple data warehousing platform and standard privacy policy enactment.
Landscape Analysis: Competitors include - Reliance HMO; Ping An Good Doctors.
Our Differential Factors are:
Person centered Data driven payment; Centralized HMO platform for service comparism; Transnational access to medical resources; Disease surveillance.
Impact Measures: Improved overall population health.
Type of Organization: For Profit
Customer Relations:
- Customer Support;
- Doctor Rating System;
- Self-Care.
- Sick people who need to see physician;
- Healthy people who are health conscious;
- Hospitals that need to operate with digital health record;
- Pharmacy & Test Labs interested in internet-based product Inventorization and geolocation;
- Physicians interested in continuing education and peer interaction.
- Disease surveillance organizations interested in data pool or disease surveillance visualization.
- Organizations (B2B)
Revenue Streams:
- Fee-for-service for online consultation and other medical services;
- Fee from value-added packages and membership plans;
- Sale of customized consumer healthcare service packages to individuals as well as corporate clients;
- Sales of products under direct sales model;
- Commissions from marketplace model;
- Advertising revenue.
Cost Structure:
- Online Consultation experience;
- Membership Services;
- Value-added Services in Collaboration with Insurers;
- Consumer Healthcare service Packages;
- Ecosystem monetization Channels;
- Health Management and Wellness Interaction.
Investors:
- Facebook Design for epidemiology (raised $15,000 grant);
- UNICEF Innovation ($100,000 grant);
- Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation ($30,000)
- Tony Elumelu Foundation ($5,000)
Technical Support
- Seedstar ($50,000 worth of services)
- Co-creation Hub ($10,000 worth of services)
Product Designer