Global Health Technologies Update: TB Tracker
May 7, 2008
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Students in the the study abroad program in global health technologies at the McCormick School of Engineering are currently working on projects in Cape Town, South Africa. McCormick students Jessica Frey, Alice Zhao, Kenny Kaiser, and Leah Carlson submit this update on their work:
The client for our project is Khayalitsha Site B, a clinic in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town where 1/3 of all tuberculosis (TB)-positive patients in the city are treated. The issue we are addressing is patient follow up after an initial TB test (a sputum sample) is given. Many of the patients that come in to be tested do not give accurate contact info or for some other reason cannot be reached when their TB test results become available. Our goal is to increase patient return rates for TB+ patients, in order to start treatment.
Many of the problems related to TB treatment run much deeper than the scope of our project, but we plan to focus on developing user-centered solutions of any type that might to increase the number of patients treated for TB. Potential technological solutions include giving all patients tested a tracking or communication device in order to facilitate delivery of test results.
In the past two weeks, we have visited Site B to introduce ourselves to the staff and get an overview of Site B from the Facility Manager. We've researched the issue and potential technological solutions, reviewed materials and the final report from the winter quarter team, and talked with Sam Pickerill (a former GHT student) about his experiences at Site B last year. We are currently waiting to get feedback from the Facility Manager and are seeking contacts at UCT regarding the ethical concerns raised by our project. Jean Poluta, Program Assistant for the Healthcare Technology Management program at University of Cape Town, has been a great resource. She has put us in contact with members of these rural communities so we can gain insight on the issue through one on one interviews. We plan on making multiple visits to Site B in the near future to make observations and speak with patients and staff about potential solutions. Currently our main objective is to define the problem and clearly understand the reasons behind low return rates in TB clinics.
