Cloud Clinic + LHW App

Overview

Co-designed mobile health solutions deployed in Pakistan and Tanzania — enabling lady health workers to record patient data in underserved communities. The system connects community health workers with doctors through a telemedicine platform while maintaining comprehensive patient records, even in areas with limited connectivity.

Challenge

Community health workers in underserved areas often work in isolation, with limited access to clinical support and paper-based record systems that make continuity of care difficult. Patients in these communities may need to travel long distances to see a doctor, leading to delayed care and preventable complications. The challenge was to create a system that could bridge this gap while working within severe infrastructure constraints.

Approach

We developed an integrated platform with two main components: a mobile app for Lady Health Workers (LHWs) to collect patient data and request virtual consultations, and a telemedicine portal for doctors to review cases and provide guidance. The system was designed with a strong focus on privacy, security, and cultural appropriateness, particularly for maternal and child health services.

Technologies Used

• Flutter for cross-platform mobile development
• End-to-end encryption for patient data
• Adaptive media compression for low-bandwidth video consultations
• Blockchain-based audit trail for sensitive health records
• OpenMRS-compatible data architecture
• Solar-powered charging solutions for devices

Implementation

The implementation involved extensive co-design sessions with LHWs, doctors, and patients to ensure the system met their needs and worked within their constraints. We developed custom training materials in local languages and established a peer support network where experienced users could help new adopters. The system was initially deployed in two districts in Pakistan before being adapted for use in Tanzania through a partnership with a local health NGO.

Results & Impact

• Deployed to support 500+ Lady Health Workers serving approximately 500,000 people
• Facilitated over 15,000 virtual consultations in the first year
• Reduced average time to specialist consultation from 12 days to 29 hours
• Improved complete and accurate record-keeping from 34% to 89%
• Successfully adapted and deployed in Tanzania, demonstrating cross-cultural applicability
• Secured additional funding to expand to 5 more districts based on initial results

Lessons Learned

This project reinforced the importance of designing with, not just for, the end users. Some of our initial assumptions about user needs and constraints proved incorrect, and the most valuable features emerged from close collaboration with the health workers themselves. We also learned valuable lessons about cross-cultural adaptation of health technology, as the Tanzania deployment required significant rethinking of certain features to account for different health system structures and cultural contexts.

Next Steps

The system is being enhanced with AI-assisted triage capabilities to help prioritize urgent cases and provide decision support to LHWs when doctors aren't immediately available. We're also developing integration with national health information systems to improve reporting and resource allocation.