Submitted
Health in Fragile Contexts Challenge

Virtual System Change

Team Leader
Jacques Stroud
Solution Overview & Team Lead Details
Our Organization
Docfully Inc
What is the name of your solution?
Virtual System Change
Provide a one-line summary of your solution.
We reduce the digital divide that affects underserved communities and give these communities the ability to access primary care that's affordable
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?

During the 2020 pandemic, it was revealed that there was a gap in healthcare coverage for minorities. More specifically for African Americans. African American men and women who were front-line workers were shown to have the biggest disparity in healthcare. African American men more than women showed a greater disparity in healthcare due to a variety of factors. One is a lack of access to healthcare because of distance, immobility, and affordability. Another factor is distrust in the system due to bias, racism, and a lack of cultural sensitivity toward African Americans. But the greatest factor is a lack of healthcare literacy which can lead to misunderstandings about health conditions and inadequate use of healthcare services. Men are also less likely to seek out mental health services which could lead to a higher propensity for suicide. It is also shown that men are less likely to go see a doctor and less likely to take preventive steps for their health. And when they do see a doctor they are less likely to follow the advice given, and if medication is prescribed, some men fail to finish their entire medication. This means more trips to the ER for this population

What is your solution?

Our solution to the problem is to increase access to primary care and healthcare literacy by connecting individuals and families to community-based organizations led by minorities along with minority medical providers or culturally sensitive providers. We accomplish this with our platform and app that utilizes video-conferencing, data collection, facial recognition, and machine learning to deliver to an individual a "health score" from physiological data, social determinants of health data, and mental health data. This system will be unique to each patient. Each patient has a dashboard with their aggregated score and is designed to connect patients to minority and/or culturally sensitive medical professionals. In order to make healthcare more affordable we are looking to connect individuals that are immobile, without reliable transportation, and far from a facility to a medical provider and a case manager from a community-based organization with the help of our outreach staff.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

This project is being developed using a “Patient-Centric Design'' approach to improve health outcomes for minorities such as African American and the Latin X community using a value-based model. Past approaches to healthcare delivery have left many minority Americans unsatisfied and suspicious of our healthcare system. Especially in black and Latino communities where the dissatisfaction is highest. By providing a better experience with healthcare accessibility and delivery among these populations we wish to serve, the adoption of this system can spread. With greater adoption, we can promote more preventative care to improve, engage, empower, and motivate individuals, families, and communities to enhance the quality of lives and sustain health gains. Using this approach, we can build the trust of the U.S. healthcare system back into these communities.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

Me and the two members of my medical advisory board, are minorities and come from minority communities where community members suffer from multiple chronic conditions. One of my advisory board members is a practicing ER physician at a clinic near the Mexican border of San Diego. Access to primary care and health literacy are sub-par in neighborhoods where there are a low number of affordable clinics to serve the community. Because of this many minorities have a higher chance of developing a chronic condition compared to their counterparts who have a higher level of access to primary care. I've experienced this personally as an emergency medical technician, certified nurse assistant, and a home healthcare nurse of a cerebral palsy patient. I and the members of my board have worked closely with community-based organizations that have worked in minority communities. As part of the design, we will partner with community-based organizations that are in minority communities to connect with community members and get direct information on the needs of the community.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
  • Enable continuity of care, particularly around primary health, complex or chronic diseases, and mental health and well-being.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
San Diego
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
  • United States
What is your solution’s stage of development?
  • Pilot: An organization testing a product, service, or business model with a small number of users
How many people does your solution currently serve?

In 2019 we attained funding from a Southern California foundation for the purpose of developing technology to help low-income minorities and the homeless receive primary care here in southern California. During the 2020 pandemic, we were able to form a partnership between a community-based organization and a federally qualified health clinic with the purpose of verifying if our telemedicine technology would be accepted and utilized by providers and their beneficiaries. During the pandemic, we serviced over 100 individuals and performed over 20 virtual visits using our platform.

Why are you applying to Solve?

We are a tech-enabled healthcare services company committed to improving access to healthcare services for minority communities. These communities usually have residents that are low-income individuals and families, as well as a higher elderly population and homeless individuals. We especially want to target the men of these communities due to data showing a higher propensity of having multiple chronic conditions. We want to be a key facilitator and outreach partner for healthcare providers and established social organizations by connecting underserved patients to services through our SAAS technology. Because we are a small group we have gaps in our team that we hope SOLVE will fill. Individuals who have experience in medical law, as well as developers who are familiar with EHR systems and developing platforms to work with these systems would be very helpful in our development. 

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
  • Business Model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
  • Monitoring & Evaluation (e.g. collecting/using data, measuring impact)
  • Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)
Who is the Team Lead for your solution?
Jacques Stroud
More About Your Solution
Your Team
Your Business Model & Funding
Solution Team:
Jacques Stroud
Jacques Stroud