Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

MiDoctor

last updated May 25, 2012

Overview

Implementing organization: 
eHealthSystems
Implementation Partner(s): 
Movistar, OpenMRS
Legal Status: 
Private (unspecified)
Year Launched: 
2010
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage
Income Level of Target Population: 
All income levels

Technology

Technology Used: 
Phones › SMS/MMS (Text Message)
Technology Purpose: 
Facilitating Patient Communications › Encouraging Patient Compliance

Scale

Number of Clients Served: 
185 Patients (As of Feb. 2012)
Number of Facilities Operated/Networked: 
2 Health Centers Contracted
Summary: 

MiDoctor improves patients' health through personalized care via their cell phones and lowers the costs of monitoring their health by contacting them for reminders to take medicine and schedule appointments before manageable chronic diseases become deadly.

Program goals/rationale: 

Non-communicable chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory diseases, kill over 1,300,000 people in Latin America annually. Taking their medications, going to their controls, and changing eating and exercise routines are necessary if diabetics are going to have a higher quality and longer life. However, in Chile like most countries, most diabetics don’t know they have it or don’t control it well enough to avoid its catastrophic effects. MiDoctor addresses the problems associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in low resource settings. MiDoctor connects a patient's cell phone to an electronic medical record (EMR) to provide the continual care needed.

Key program components: 

The system works as follows:

A health center (HC) contracts MiDoctor. During the first week eHealth Systems customizes MiDoctor to the HC’s needs. The HC begins to use MiDoctor by entering their patients data via MiDoctor’s web forms or by sending them the information. From there MiDoctor has all of the intelligence built in for when to call patients, when to send them SMS messages depending on their responses, and when to send email alerts to the HC. For example, if on an automated call the patient touches 1 on their keypad saying they forgot their medications, MiDoctor tells them they will receive an SMS every day for the next 7 days reminding them to take their medications. If the patient says they don’t know how to take their medications, MiDoctor sends an email alert to the HC and places them on a work list, so HC personnel can see all the patients they need to call about this particular issue. MiDoctor also calls patients before their appointment and asks them if they will attend, if the patient responds no, it alerts the HC so another patient can be seen.

In this way, MiDoctor connects patients to their HC ensuring they receive the appropriate care and don’t “fall through the cracks.” It motivates and educates patients in how to control their health, and alerts the HC when to assist patients, so that they provide the necessary care only when it is needed. This strengthens the health system by reducing the no show rates and ensuring high quality treatment. MiDoctor also provides the foundation of an EMR without needing servers, thus taking the first step in placing other electronic tools in the HCs.

Hide this

Need help?

Using the CHMI Programs Database

  • Browse: Browse the database by applying one or more filters to narrow your search by characteristics. Click the "x" to remove any of the filters you've selected. Click "reset search" to remove all filters and start over.
  • Search: Search the database for a specific program by typing a name or keyword into the search box.
  • Add: If the program you're looking for is not in the CHMI database, submit the program to the CHMI pipeline by clicking here to add a program profile.
  • Update: If you notice incorrect or outdated information, or would like to help complete a profile for a CHMI pipeline program, request a change by clicking here, or at the top of the program profile.

Have a question? Check the FAQs first. Don’t see your question? Contact us.