Connected Diagnostics

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Client

CDx (Connected Diagnostics initiative) is a collaborative initiative between InSTEDD and FIND that seeks to use diagnostic data to improve healthcare delivery, outbreak detection and response, and health systems management, working also as a tool for labs and health workers in remote communities to provide better and faster treatment to diseases (faster notifications to patients will improve their treatment results).

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Requirements & Context

As defined by CDx “Diagnostic tests are an integral part of many public health interventions, guiding delivery of appropriate therapy, and often reducing drug wastage and inappropriate treatment. In the past decade, utilization of diagnostic test devices has increased dramatically in developing countries’ laboratories and more recently in decentralized point of care facilities. Diagnostic tests are also evolving to digital platforms facilitating such things as increased use by non-lab trained resources and reducing the ambiguity of result interpretation. The use, however, of even the most revolutionary diagnostics often encounter other factors that limit the potential adoption and impact of many new test systems. Of the most significant patient-important constraints is the absence, in many instances, of reliable and timely reporting mechanisms”.

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Approach

This initiative seeks to use diagnostic data to improve healthcare delivery, outbreak detection and response, and health systems management, working also as a tool for labs and health workers in remote communities to provide better and faster treatment to diseases (faster notifications to patients will improve their treatment results). In areas where transport, smartphones and WiFi are not easily accessed the results can be delivered by SMS with instructions about treatment and notification of future check-ups.

Working closely with the CDX team in one of our trips

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Pilots

Vietnam

Juan & Juan traveled to Vietnam to test CDx connections on Qiagen, Genoscan, GeneXpert and MGIT devices. They visited a Tuberculosis laboratory, where more than 100 patients arrive each day, and were able to experience first hand the laboratories workflows and the benefits CDx could bring.

Perú

Mariano traveled to Perú for 2 weeks to work with 2 laboratories (in UPCH and INS) that perform tuberculosis assays in the city of Lima. Mariano was able to work closely with the staff to better understand their workflow and search for new opportunities to improve usability, efficiency and efficacy of the system.

India

Matias & Nicolás traveled to India to kick off an initial pilot of CDx. They visited the New Delhi Tuberculosis Centre facilities and the Safdarjung Hospital to learn more about tuberculosis tests in the country and test a prototype device. They also participated in a workshop with local doctors and technicians with whom they discussed their methodologies and issues for diagnosing tuberculosis cases.

Workshop at Geneva

Jonathan and Nicolás traveled to Geneva for 10 days to work at FIND offices developing user stories and storyboards.

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Results

The preliminary tests in India, Perú & Vietnam show promising possibilities for improvements in the laboratory workflows, diagnosis timeliness, time to treatment and overall efficiency. The platform was developed with the support of Google.org, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, InSTEDD and FIND.