Reimagining telemedicine accessibility in Africa
Emerging as a solution to provide remote medical assistance
Africa's healthcare sector has made significant progress in the last 50 years, but there are still many challenges that need to be addressed. Many people do not have access to advanced medical facilities due to issues such as infrastructure deficits, lack of investment in healthcare, high costs, and population distribution. To overcome these challenges, an African solution is required.Telemedicine is starting to emerge as a potential solution to facilitate access to advanced medical assistance remotely. An example of this is the Guardian Eye AVA Higo medical device. This device collects patient data using IoT sensors and transmits it, along with medical images and recordings, to a medical professional who can then make an informed diagnosis from a distance. This device has been designed to enhance telemedicine for practitioners who want to provide care to patients in remote areas.
The Guardian Eye AVA Higo medical device is a comprehensive telehealth solution for AI-supported remote patient exams, medical data capture and diagnoses.
It includes the remote monitoring of patients by gathering and saving all historical medical data and images and other forms of communication, allowing healthcare providers to deliver care outside of traditional in-person visits.
Better healthcare delivery
As a result, AVA can improve access to care, reduce costs and increase efficiency in healthcare delivery for everyone involved, while saving time and money by decreasing patient waiting times and travel requirements with a device that is easy to use, clean and maintain.
Furthermore, the device records comprehensive medical exams, delivering and storing high-quality medical data outside of a doctor’s office.
The AVA medical device offering, the first-to-market in Africa, puts a doctor at anyone’s fingertips, be it organisations, remote clinics or rural communities. For patients, having access to a reliable solution that’s easy to use and access is invaluable as it reduces waiting times and makes healthcare far more convenient.
The Higo device comes with five exchangeable modules that include a dermhood, stethoscope, throat exam module, otoscope and thermometer. The device takes the data from the primary healthcare examination and records it, along with medical images and recordings, and records it to a patient portal that is then accessed and reviewed by a medical professional, assisting them in making an accurate diagnosis.
Service everywhere
“The main value of the Higo telehealth solution is that high-quality medical services can be offered to patients everywhere – the patient can enjoy the comfort and safety of remote consultations combined with the clinical quality of diagnosis provided by the physician remotely,” says Philip Choban, CEO of Telios Care, S.A.
“We purchased 200 units of Higo medical devices in 2022 and conducted Higo SaaS integration with our telehealth system to provide our customers with an innovative premium product – remote GP consultations based on high-quality medical data.”
The value for the patient is also felt in the cost of the examination – depending on where they access the service, it is cost-effective to use as it is cheaper than having to travel to a doctor and pay a visitation fee, especially now when medical aid has become prohibitively expensive for most people. For practitioners, the solution allows them to provide consistent care within the growing realm of telemedicine.
“As telemedicine becomes increasingly popular and relevant, so does the use of adjunctive devices to aid in the assessment of patients remotely,” says Dr Jessica Jane Voerman, Chief Clinical Officer – CARE FIRST, MBChB (UCT), DipPEC (CMSA), PGDipGP (FPD).
“The Higo device itself is simple and easy to use with only basic training needed, making it an excellent choice for the non-medically trained user.”