Transforming healthcare access for people with rare diseases

Lack of access to healthcare is a global crisis. Although myriad factors contribute to the problem, several barriers stand between people and the critical healthcare they need. 

Tragically, half of the people in the world lack access to the most basic healthcare services, many of whom live in vulnerable, disadvantaged communities. Four hundred million live with rare diseases, often suffering without proper diagnosis or treatment. People are suffering and dying from rare diseases, but there is hope.

A shortfall of more than 7.2 million health workers also impacts accessible care. People with rare diseases are living (and dying) without access to specialized care, but there is an opportunity to transform health systems and save lives. 

World Telehealth Initiative envisions a world where everyone can access quality healthcare. In alignment with The Horizon Prize: 2022's aim to seek solutions that optimize holistic care and mitigate barriers to medical care, World Telehealth Initiative provides sustainable medical expertise to the world's most vulnerable communities. Our programs build local capacity and deliver core health services through a network of volunteer healthcare professionals supported by telehealth technology. This includes healthcare access for people living in disadvantaged communities with rare diseases, often misdiagnosed or left without treatment options. 

World Telehealth Initiative has three goals:

1. Advance the healthcare skills and capacity of providers in vulnerable communities
2. Improve health outcomes for people in underserved communities
3. Increase opportunities for compassionate, skilled healthcare professionals to make a difference for those in need

On-site providers and supporting physicians from anywhere in the world collaborate to provide quality care for people with rare diseases, injuries, and infectious diseases.

Physicians engage in four delivery applications:

1. Peer-to-peer didactics
2. Scheduled clinical consultations
3. Surgical mentoring
4. Emergent, high-acuity care

World Telehealth Initiative is currently the only NGO providing the full complement of telehealth services in this exact manner. 

To bring life-changing healthcare to more people, we are building a custom matching platform. It will enable automation and streamlining for many of our daily processes - namely pairing the clinical requests from low-resourced hospitals and clinics with the appropriate healthcare provider. This tool allows us to scale to thousands of providers that can serve hundreds of hospitals and clinics requesting further expertise to address their community's needs.

Phase II of the platform will encourage collaboration and coordination of care among physicians, particularly for rare diseases. Healthcare providers can ask questions, share cases, and connect across the globe, with the unified mission of increasing healthcare access and improving patient care worldwide. 

For example, this week, an 8-month-old baby in Bangladesh was diagnosed with Milroy's disease, which affects the lymphatic system and can lead to swelling (lymphedema) of the legs and feet. In Dhaka, no vascular specialists or dermatologists are familiar with this extremely rare disease (only 200 reported cases in history). Instead of turning away the family, offering no hope for their child, Dr. Hossain connected with surgeons and specialists through WTI's network to find physicians more familiar with Milroy's disease. The group of experts is collaboratively building the patient care plan for the infant so that the condition does not become debilitating. 

As World Telehealth Initiative's network grows, we will continue to see more transformative relationships developing, increasing access to care for people with rare diseases and strengthening health systems worldwide.

World Telehealth Initiative focuses on providing support for the most vulnerable communities worldwide. In 2022, this includes Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, people impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, and thousands of people across the Global South who lack access to quality healthcare. 

According to the European Journal of Human Genetics, rare diseases affect 3.5% – 5.9% of the world's population, equivalent to approximately 300 million people worldwide. An estimated 6,000 clinically defined rare conditions exist, of which 72% are genetic, and of those, 70% start in childhood.

World Telehealth Initiative's network of healthcare providers represents over 50 specialties, including infectious disease, pediatrics, traumatology, neurology, cardiology, pulmonology, endocrinology, and oncology. The providers address the need for accurate diagnoses and treatments. Connecting experts with people with rare diseases is critical, and yet, in low-resourced areas, it can be an unfathomable task. 

For example, via telehealth technology, we can connect a geneticist in Spain with a pediatric oncologist in Ecuador and an ophthalmologist in the United States. Collaboration results in the best course of action and optimal outcomes for a child with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer.

Telehealth technology also supports hospitals when transporting patients is dangerous or impossible. For instance, a fragile premature baby in remote Argentina cannot be transferred 150 miles to the nearest neonatal intensive care unit. Instead, a neonatologist can beam into the hospital from their laptop, connecting to the telehealth device at the remote hospital. The neonatologist can speak with the on-site physician, view the baby's vitals, and suggest or review laboratory tests and scans. The specialist can be available at a moment's notice, whether they are 50 miles or 5,000 miles away, eliminating the need to travel during a crisis and expediting the team's ability to create a care plan and stabilize the patient. 

Telehealth addresses and achieves the basic tenants of the World Health Organization's Universal Health Coverage, providing all people access to the health services they need when and where required without financial hardship. Robust health systems are rooted in the communities they serve, improving well-being and quality of life. Telehealth is reshaping healthcare delivery across the globe.

World Telehealth Initiative was established in 2017 by Dr. Yulun Wang and Sharon Allen. Dr. Wang founded InTouch Health, where he developed and deployed the state-of-the-art global cloud-based telehealth network. With the rapid adoption of telehealth in the United States and other high-income countries to deliver more accessible, lower-cost, and higher-quality healthcare, Dr. Wang became increasingly aware of the need for this modern technology to be utilized in under-resourced communities.

Sharon Allen worked extensively with organizations in low- and middle-income countries to understand the needs of low-resourced clinics and hospitals worldwide. Under her leadership, WTI developed an innovative philanthropic healthcare model that leverages remote volunteer physicians to provide sustainable medical expertise via telehealth.

Virtual care and telehealth technology offer an opportunity to provide a cost-effective solution that ensures patients receive medical services where and when needed most. WTI's method significantly improves global healthcare at scale and at a fraction of the typical cost.

World Telehealth Initiative supports local providers in building their health system's capacity to care for their community. We believe the host community must be the primary driver of global health engagements. We work with hospitals and clinics that want further medical expertise and support. On-site providers design the program based on their needs, resources, and capacity, then we implement it - together. The flexible nature of our design allows us to adjust to the community's needs week by week, year by year.

Telehealth technology also provides opportunities to draw from the immeasurable experiences and knowledge of the diaspora. For example, if an Ethiopian physician works in the United States but wants to support her community of origin, she can do so through telehealth. Not only can the physician share her medical knowledge, but she has a greater appreciation for the cultural subtleties and speaks Amharic. Benefits are experienced by the physician who gives back to her homeland while the on-site providers glean from her knowledge.

As a relatively young non-governmental agency, World Telehealth Initiative has grown significantly since its launch in 2017. From the organization's founding with Dr. Wang and Sharon Allen, we have grown to a staff of eight. But there is still much to be done to reach millions worldwide who lack access to essential health services and specialized care. 

Being selected as a participant in this program will provide the financial resources needed to develop further and implement the custom-built platform that will allow us to scale. It will also connect us with experts in technology, monitoring and evaluation, and strategy. We are confident that our program design works because we have seen the impact on thousands of patients and healthcare providers worldwide. Mothers and babies are alive after difficult labor and deliveries. Children with cancer have the medical care they need. In their local hospitals, men with strokes are being identified accurately and treated for the condition.

Sharing our impact with the world requires more than heartwarming stories and photos from the field. We aim for more robust monitoring & evaluation, and impact processes. Connecting with experts through the MIT program and engaging in mentoring program will strengthen our ability to transform global healthcare. 

World Telehealth Initiative is a part of the solution to provide accessible healthcare to people worldwide. The global health framework should occur in partnership. Building our brand and sharing our impact through media and conferences would also help us develop collaborative relationships with non-governmental organizations, corporations, and community leaders. Every human has a right to healthcare and a life lived in dignity. Together, we can make that right a reality for thousands worldwide.

World Telehealth Initiative is the only philanthropic organization providing telehealth services in this exact manner. The custom-built platform will allow us to scale, reach more patients in need, and connect more volunteer physicians to hospitals and clinics. The platform business model is successful in the for-profit world, as evidenced by Airbnb, Uber, Indeed, and others. To date, NGOs have not benefitted from the full power of platforms because of the development resources required. Yet, the investment has an enormous ROI. We cannot grow to meet the global demand under our current processes as the need for accessible healthcare grows by the day. 

Beyond the simple matching platform, our tool will evolve into a healthcare ecosystem, connecting experts, building collaboration, and offering quality care for people with rare diseases worldwide. Rare diseases are challenging to treat because they are just that - rare. Families struggle to find providers who know how to treat the little-known genetic condition or disease. If financial, language, or transportation barriers stand in the way, it can be impossible to get the expert care needed, particularly in impoverished communities. 

World Telehealth Initiative offers a low-cost, scalable solution. We are ready to upskill local physicians and build capacity in vulnerable health systems through our network of physician volunteers via telehealth technology and coordinated through WTI's matching algorithm. We believe this will be the most influential global platform for philanthropic healthcare provisions.

Our innovative solution is sustainable due to the ease with which volunteer medical experts engage - by simply opening their home or work laptop or phone. Although most request more engagement, some providers contribute one hour per month. We eliminate barriers of cost, time off work, vaccinations, and travel time. Studies show that meaningful humanitarian opportunities increase healthcare providers' job satisfaction and decrease burnout. Our programs promote reciprocal learning, benefit providers, and underpin health systems.

Today, telehealth is one of the fastest-growing sectors in healthcare, especially during COVID-19, which has enhanced and accelerated the role that telehealth plays within healthcare. In the following year, World Telehealth Initiative aims to transform global healthcare by expanding from 24 to 40 total program sites. 

WTI will add 650 new volunteer physicians to our community to support the new program sites, providing over 50 medical specialties to clinics and hospitals worldwide. With over 1,000 volunteers by year-end, we can bring life-changing healthcare to thousands more people in vulnerable communities.

Launching our custom-built platform will facilitate the onboarding of new volunteers and program sites in a more efficient, accessible manner. The increased capacity is crucial to our ability to scale our programs. 

In the following year, the platform will be available through a phone-based app, allowing quick and easy access for platform participants. The accessible nature of the matching platform will enable us to meet emergent care needs more readily. Much like a hospital has on-call physicians, WTI will be able to offer the same level of responsiveness from a global community of volunteers.

World Telehealth Initiative is reshaping healthcare delivery worldwide. 

Currently, WTI tracks the number of volunteers, their specialties, the number of telehealth sessions they provide (in hours), and the program sites. With the launch of the matching platform, we will use quick surveys after each encounter to gather data, providing insight into the level of upskilling, satisfaction, and other metrics. We are actively working to strengthen and expand our impact metrics to share progress towards our short- and long-term goals accurately.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a guiding force in World Telehealth Initiative's programs. Not only does WTI address SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being, but our approach also touches on other pillars in the SDG initiatives. 

For example, physicians and hospital staff can use telehealth technology to connect. It reduces costs, delays in care, and the environmental impact of hundreds of physicians flying or driving to the program sites (SDG 10 & 13). 

Educational and mentoring opportunities strengthen the skill sets and knowledge base of healthcare professionals who work in low-resourced clinics and hospitals. By equipping people who are working in the community instead of relying on foreign specialists to offer support during short-term trips, WTI supports quality education (SDG 4), improves productive employment (SDG 8), and reduces inequalities in healthcare and educational resources (SDG 10). 

The lack of quality, affordable, timely healthcare is a global crisis. World Telehealth Initiative aims to revolutionize global healthcare by providing quality medical expertise where and when required.

We focus on supporting medical providers to strengthen health systems in vulnerable communities worldwide. We connect physicians and healthcare providers worldwide via telehealth technology to build relationships, collaborate, and share resources to improve patient health and long-term outcomes. 

To achieve these ambitious goals, we must work synergistically with Ministries of Health, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, corporate sponsors, and investors to find sustainable solutions for communities that make sense culturally, financially, and logistically. 

Since 2017, WTI has built a network of philanthropic physicians and on-site providers working in 33 hospitals and clinics across five continents. To strengthen our network and the global health system, we listen to the needs of our community partners. We provide support, training, and mentoring for physicians in a united mission to transform lives. 

Our evaluation plans include conducting surveys and informal conversations and data collection on telehealth sessions, volunteer hours, training topics offered, and other metrics. With the launch of our matching platform, we will continue refining and improving our monitoring and evaluation processes to measure the short- and long-term impacts of WTI's programs. 

World Telehealth Initiative is underpinned by over $200 million of investment in telehealth technology. WTI uses a cloud-based telehealth system to power connections between clinical needs and the medical experts that can fulfill those requirements.

Teladoc Health's InTouch Lite V3 telehealth device has the highest connectivity and network performance, top-of-the-line audio/video capabilities, and immersive design. Purpose-built for healthcare with proactive monitoring and connection optimization technology to manage highly variable network conditions, a constant state of readiness is maintained for all devices and locations. We comply with all relevant state, national and international laws and regulations, including the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA. We also regularly validate the controls we have in place through annual assessments and audits, including SOC II, Type Two, and HITRUST certification. 

Physicians use diagnostic devices such as ultrasound, intraoral cameras, ECGs, and stethoscopes connected to the InTouch Lite to assess and treat patients accurately - from 100 or 1,000 miles away. 

The custom-built matching platform currently in development uses industry-proven secure and scalable programming tools: Ruby on Rails is used for the server-side back-end (data storage, matching logic, etc.) and React for the front-end UI/UX (input forms, custom controls, etc.).

Building on the principles of cultural humility, World Telehealth Initiative seeks the expertise of our program site leaders and volunteer physicians to give voice to the needs and goals of each community where we provide telehealth services. The flexible nature of our program design within the guideposts of our mission allows us to adjust to the unique cultural and societal influences that impact healthcare. 

World Telehealth Initiative is committed to providing an environment free of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and disrespectful or other unprofessional conduct based on: 

• Race 
• Religion (including religious dress and grooming practices) 
• Color 
• Sex/gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sex stereotype, gender identity/gender expression/transgender (including whether or not you are transitioning or have transitioned), and sexual orientation 
• National origin (including language use restrictions) 
• Ancestry 
• Physical or mental disability 
• Medical condition 
• Genetic information/characteristics 
• Marital status/registered domestic partner status 
• Age (40 and over) 
• Sexual orientation 
• Military or veteran status 
• Any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation 

World Telehealth Initiative also prohibits discrimination, harassment, disrespectful or unprofessional conduct based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics. 

In addition, the WTI prohibits retaliation against individuals who raise complaints of discrimination or harassment or participate in workplace investigations. 

As 50% of the world lacks access to quality healthcare, our target market is vast. 

World Telehealth Initiative has an unprecedented capability to enable healthcare access by leveraging the in-kind donations of telehealth technology and volunteer medical expertise. Our site partners receive immense value for a fraction of the typical cost of a telehealth program. 

While under-resourced hospitals and clinics typically do not have the budget for continuing education for their providers, WTI can bring the training on-site via telehealth to increase their clinician's skills, knowledge, and confidence. Patients simultaneously receive quality healthcare while local providers are upskilled, thereby increasing their health system's capacity.

Unlike medical missions that may disrupt local health systems, we offer them the tools and medical support to create success in caring for their community. Each unique program implementation requires:

1. Program design and use case evaluation
2. Initial technical review
3. Ministry of Health approval and local policy verification
4. Community outreach and education
5. Physician training and development
6. Asynchronous and synchronous care coordination
7. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation

We address the global healthcare crisis through a partnership model, customized and unique to each health system and community with which we work. Collaboration is required to increase our collective impact. We partner with others well-equipped to deliver goods, supply medicines or equipment, or introduce us to the healthcare professionals in-country.

The new matching platform will further allow automation and streamlining processes to increase efficiency and reduce the cost of WTI's human resources.

We are fortunate to have been the recipient of a Deloitte pro bono impact study. They confirmed that volunteer provider satisfaction is so strong in our programs that we have an opportunity to capitalize it. Studies show that volunteering in programs like WTI decreases provider burnout. Working with a group of 20 health system CEOs we are developing a model in which high-income country health systems will pay a sliding scale fee for WTI membership. In return, we will offer their providers meaningful engagement opportunities, share stories from the field, furnish routine reports and engage in joint marketing efforts. Already three of the health systems want to be founding partners, and we will grow from there. This recurring revenue will be supplemented by corporate sponsors: Intel, Pfizer, Deloitte, Microsoft, Teladoc, and other industry leaders from technology, healthcare, and international development sectors.

Moreover, we will continue efforts with foundations and individuals to fund the crucial efforts of providing accessible healthcare worldwide. In 2022, we are also investigating government grant opportunities. 

Adding the MIT Solve community to our network of supports will further enrich our ability to bring accessible healthcare support to communities worldwide.

World Telehealth Initiative recognizes operating a non-profit organization requires a multi-pronged approach to build relationships and raise funds to run successful and sustainable programs. 

WTI is fortunate to partner with Teladoc Health. Using Teladoc Health telehealth devices and network enables the delivery of healthcare expertise anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The in-kind donations from Teladoc Health represent approximately $425,000 in value. 

The physicians who volunteer their time and expertise with our partner sites represent approximately $450,000 in professional time. 

Our development team secured $47,000 in cash grants in 2022, with another $335,000 pending submitted applications. 

Corporate partners have also invested cash in WTI's programs, totaling $200,000 thus far in 2022. We have $250,000 in corporate grants pending. Additional funds from foundations, donor-advised funds, and individual donors support WTI's programs. Our goal is to build our funding each month across all sectors, to have a healthy base to expand our reach and increase healthcare access worldwide.