[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":309},["ShallowReactive",2],{"slug-africa-hotspot-digital-health":3},{"post":4,"relatedPosts":189,"relatedBooks":308},{"id":5,"date":6,"date_gmt":7,"guid":8,"modified":10,"modified_gmt":11,"slug":12,"status":13,"type":14,"link":15,"title":16,"content":18,"excerpt":21,"author":23,"featured_media":24,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":29,"categories":30,"tags":33,"project_category":48,"contact_email_category":49,"yst_prominent_words":50,"class_list":62,"better_featured_image":85,"acf":124,"yoast_meta":133,"_links":136},20658,"2018-06-05T16:36:06","2018-06-05T14:36:06",{"rendered":9},"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=20658","2022-05-25T17:46:34","2022-05-25T15:46:34","africa-hotspot-digital-health","publish","post","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fafrica-hotspot-digital-health",{"rendered":17},"Africa Is A Hotspot For Digital Health",{"rendered":19,"protected":20},"\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"5px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp style=\"color: #555;font-size: 12px;line-height: 14px\">THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY BE OUT OF DATE NOW. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmagazine\">BROWSE OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Digital health in Africa is booming, and that’s the greatest news since the invention of broadband internet connection. The flourishing of disruptive solutions might go down to the fact that instead of relying on traditional infrastructure and a conventional healthcare system, populations in Africa need cheap, easily accessible and genuine problem-solving technologies. Why, when and how have they got there? Read on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Disrupted infrastructure should be …\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Africa has the world’s worst health record. \u003Cstrong>The birth-continent of the homo sapiens bears \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fagenda\u002F2015\u002F01\u002F3-ways-to-improve-healthcare-in-africa\u002F\">one-quarter of the global disease burden,\u003C\u002Fa> yet it spends only 1 percent of the worldwide health expenditure and has only 3 percent of the world’s health workers\u003C\u002Fstrong>. According to the WHO, the regions, where there is \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.who.int\u002Fgho\u002Fhealth_workforce\u002Fphysicians_density\u002Fen\u002F\">more than one physician for less than 1,000 patients\u003C\u002Fa>, are rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are even extremities that are incomprehensible to anyone living in a luckier part of the world. For example, one of the poorest countries in the world, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.irinnews.org\u002Freport\u002F89186\u002Fafrica-ten-countries-desperately-seeking-doctors\">Mozambique, has just 548 doctors for a population of more than 22 million\u003C\u002Fa>. One of Africa’s most populous nations, Ethiopia is extremely short of doctors, with fewer than one doctor for every 36,407 people. Niger has just 288 doctors for a population of 14 million and one of the worst health crises in the world. Moreover, almost 90 percent of health workers are in cities – leaving rural areas with 885 medical staff, according to 2008 Health Ministry data; 40 percent of all health workers operate in the capital, Niamey. These ratios are not strange for other parts of the continent either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As it is painfully visible, \u003Cstrong>the region lacks the infrastructure to provide even basic health care to many of its people. There are hardly any doctors or nurses, only a handful of good hospitals and appropriate hospital beds; there is a lack of medical devices\u003C\u002Fstrong>. It is even more difficult to speak about specialists. The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rvo.nl\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002FMarket_Study_Health_Nigeria.pdf\">estimates there are about 25 consultant oncologists to approximately 160 million Nigerians\u003C\u002Fa>, while there is \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fdigital-future-pathology\u002F\">only one pathologist for every 700,000 patient in Sudan\u003C\u002Fa>. In Uganda, the job is basically non-existent: statistics enumerate 1,555,000 patients per pathologist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20659\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map.jpg\" alt=\"digital health in Africa\" class=\"wp-image-20659\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fpatient-per-doctor-map-444x250.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>The Patient Per Doctor Map of The World. Source: http:\u002F\u002Fbigthink.com\u002Fstrange-maps\u002F185-the-patients-per-doctor-map-of-the-world\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>… aided by disruptive technologies\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, as long as many countries even struggle with having electricity or clean water, those \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.rvo.nl\u002Fsites\u002Fdefault\u002Ffiles\u002FMarket_Study_Health_Nigeria.pdf\">having the means travel abroad for medical treatment\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.reuters.com\u002Farticle\u002Fus-african-doctors-migration\u002Fdoctor-brain-drain-costs-africa-2-billion-idUSTRE7AO00O20111125\">the brightest doctors leave for good\u003C\u002Fa>, the improvement of health conditions has to come from unexpected places.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And it does. It comes from disruptive technologies which use the creative mind rather than abundant resources to solve problems. \u003Cstrong>Mobile phones. Apps. Tablets. Telemedicine. 3D printing. Medical drones. Solutions which mostly by-pass traditional infrastructures or national regulations and cost less than the usual medical equipment\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As you cannot go to the doctor because the nearest one is two-hundred miles away, you will gladly use the telemedicinal app on your phone to talk to a physician. As you cannot be sure whether you will receive counterfeit medicine, you will definitely use your mobile phone to figure it out. Although a systemic change in Africa is further down the road, sometimes an average consumer in Germany or the US can feel the era of digital technologies later than in villages in Rwanda or Kenya. What can we discern from all of that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"670\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fman-standing-on-bathroom-scale.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20670\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fman-standing-on-bathroom-scale.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fman-standing-on-bathroom-scale-768x591.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fman-standing-on-bathroom-scale-512x394.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fman-standing-on-bathroom-scale-325x250.jpg 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Real needs spark innovation\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Necessity is the mother of invention – and the saying is incredibly valid for Africa. While in the developed world, it is sexy to innovate and bring new ideas to the market to make people’s lives easier, \u003Cstrong>in Africa, innovation might mean the chance to beat everyday challenges and to ensure basic conditions for the life of large populations\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Digital technologies are spreading like wildfire especially because they allow the jump from no infrastructure to the fourth industrial revolution without investment in traditional infrastructures and the need for conventional social circuits – which are often disrupted in many places of the continent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Over the last 15 years, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fagenda\u002F2016\u002F01\u002Fis-africa-leading-the-innovation-revolution\u002F\">African economies have enjoyed growth above the global average\u003C\u002Fa>, which comes down to mineral agriculture linked to China’s demand for raw materials as much as to a \u003Cstrong>technological revolution\u003C\u002Fstrong>. \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fdisrupt-africa.com\u002F2016\u002F01\u002Fafrican-tech-startups-raised-funding-in-excess-of-us185-7m-in-2015\u002F\">Disrupt Africa\u003C\u002Fa> reports that in 2015, African technology startups received over $185 million in funding, and pharma companies see a growing potential in the continent as they are \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedcitynews.com\u002F2016\u002F02\u002Fdigital-health-startups-in-africa\u002F\">supporting more and more digital health start-up incubators\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By 2020, there will be \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2016\u002Fjul\u002F25\u002Fcan-the-internet-reboot-africa\">more than 700m smartphone connections in Africa\u003C\u002Fa> – more than twice the projected number in North America and not far from the total in Europe, according to GSMA, an association of mobile phone operators. In Nigeria alone, 16 smartphones are sold every minute, while \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.cisco.com\u002Fc\u002Fen\u002Fus\u002Fsolutions\u002Fcollateral\u002Fservice-provider\u002Fvisual-networking-index-vni\u002Fmobile-white-paper-c11-520862.html\">mobile data traffic across Africa is set to increase 15-fold by 2020\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20661\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"435\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ftechnology-for-africa.jpg\" alt=\"digital health in Africa\" class=\"wp-image-20661\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ftechnology-for-africa.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ftechnology-for-africa-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ftechnology-for-africa-512x256.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ftechnology-for-africa-458x229.jpg 458w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.huffingtonpost.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>SMS for Africa\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Smartphones and access to broadband internet connection are potent tools for innovation, and due to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.economist.com\u002Fspecial-report\u002F2017\u002F11\u002F09\u002Fbeefing-up-mobile-phone-and-internet-penetration-in-africa\">undersea internet cables encircling Africa\u003C\u002Fa>, the continent gets more and more connected\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Mobile phone solutions popped up for almost everything ranging from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.theguardian.com\u002Fworld\u002F2012\u002Faug\u002F26\u002Fafrica-innovations-transform-continent\">iCow app to help farmers get advice\u003C\u002Fa> until one of the biggest \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fd41586-018-05259-x\">long-term experiments with universal basic income\u003C\u002Fa>. More than 21 thousand people in Kenya receive 2,250 Kenyan shillings, one-quarter to half of the average salary in Bomet County, one of the poorest in Kenya, every month for the next 12 years. It’s courtesy of the US-based charity \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.givedirectly.org\u002F\">GiveDirectly\u003C\u002Fa>, which is studying the effects of handing people lumps of cash with no strings attached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Regarding healthcare, mobile phones and smartphone apps mean basic access to care and better management of scarce resources\u003C\u002Fstrong>. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fagenda\u002F2015\u002F01\u002F3-ways-to-improve-healthcare-in-africa\u002F\">Around 27,000 government health workers in Uganda use a mobile health system called mTRAC to report on medicine stocks across the country\u003C\u002Fa>. Novartis is also working on an mHealth pilot in Nairobi and Mombasa to understand the supply chain cycle better and build capabilities to ensure medicines reach patients in need. Through this initiative, pharmacists register their patients for surveys via SMS. The survey results then help map out where patients are located to redistribute medicines to areas in need. Mobile \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Finsights.samsung.com\u002F2016\u002F08\u002F02\u002Fhow-mobile-penetration-is-increasing-access-to-healthcare-in-sub-saharan-africa\u002F\">healthcare solutions\u003C\u002Fa> such as Kenya’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fdisrupt-africa.com\u002F2015\u002F06\u002Fkenyas-miti-health-hopes-for-unreasonable-access-to-mentors-markets\u002F\">Miti Health\u003C\u002Fa> and Ghana’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmpedigree.net\u002F\">mPedigree\u003C\u002Fa> are helping to improve the drug supply chain by validating prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20660\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmobile-phones-in-africa.jpg\" alt=\"digital health in Africa\" class=\"wp-image-20660\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmobile-phones-in-africa.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmobile-phones-in-africa-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmobile-phones-in-africa-512x384.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmobile-phones-in-africa-333x250.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.africlandpost.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Smartphones could also aid diagnostics. Nigerian start-up, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fubenwa.com\u002F\">Ubenwa\u003C\u002Fa> has developed an A.I. algorithm able to diagnose childbirth asphyxia based on an infant’s cry. The smartphone application \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fqz.com\u002F1158185\u002Fnigerian-ai-health-startup-ubenwa-hopes-to-save-thousands-of-babies-lives-every-year\u002F\">analyses the amplitude and frequency patterns of the cry and provides an instant diagnosis\u003C\u002Fa>. As, according to WHO, birth asphyxia is the third highest cause of under-five child deaths and is responsible for almost one million neonatal deaths annually, the solution comes as a real life-saver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Solar power and discarded electronics – lack of resources call for creativity\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In many cases, it does not even go down to financial resources, but necessary infrastructure. You could have a state-of-the-art MRI machine, but if you cannot turn the lights on due to the lack of electricity, you can only use it as a flower pot holder. While accessibility is a massive problem for smartphones and the internet in Africa, too, statistics show that \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.weforum.org\u002Fagenda\u002F2016\u002F01\u002Fis-africa-leading-the-innovation-revolution\u002F\">mobile phone penetration is surpassing electricity penetration in many countries\u003C\u002Fa> – and it will be even more so in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And \u003Cstrong>what if you search for different resources such as solar power or discarded electronics\u003C\u002Fstrong>? Botswana-based \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.deaftronics.com\u002F\">Deaftronics\u003C\u002Fa> manufactured the first solar-powered hearing aid unit, Solar Ear. This technology is game-changing in a country where there are only 12 audiologists and five audiology centers for a population of over two million. The 22-year-old \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fsanga-m-c-kanthema-8066a5131\u002F\">Sanga Kathema\u003C\u002Fa> from Malawi uses discarded electronics to build low-cost wireless heart diagnostic systems. The device applies two methodologies for measuring and monitoring the heart; electrograph and digital stethoscope. Both solutions are great for helping people in remote areas not having access to doctors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wireless Cardiodiagnosis System\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002F4hCPzIORtgo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Smart jackets for portable diagnostics, e-waste as material for 3D-printers\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Tanzania, GE is working with the Ifakara Health Institute to provide health workers with portable ultrasound devices that will be used by midwives and nurses to assess the wellbeing of pregnant women in rural areas. And cutting-edge research is testing how to extract the data necessary to perform blood analysis \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002F1.usa.gov\u002F1LuwQ50\">with only a smartphone attachment\u003C\u002Fa>, useful to telemedicine or rural treatment. A Ugandan engineering student, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fturyabagye-brian-95251363\u002F\">Brian Turyabagye\u003C\u002Fa>, who had to witness how his friend’s grandmother was misdiagnosed with malaria instead of pneumonia, built a smart jacket, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002Fthemamaope?_rdc=1&_rdr\">Mama-Ope\u003C\u002Fa>, to help doctors identify pneumonia faster and more accurately. Mama-Ope or “mother’s hope” measures temperature, breathing rate, and compares it to a database of parameters. The team wants to reduce the alarming statistics with 27,000 Ugandan children dying annually from pneumonia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The \u003Cstrong>endless creativity of African entrepreneurs also facilitates the development of 3D printing – and its easier use for \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fthe-10-most-innovative-health-technologies-saving-millions-in-the-developing-world\u002F\">printing out finger splints, medical devices or prosthetics\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fstrong>. While the \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fenablingthefuture.org\u002F\">e-NABLING the Future project\u003C\u002Fa> allows anyone to download 3D printing designs, video tutorials and other information about building prosthetic hands to enable volunteers, doctors or anyone on the field to create the actual prosthetics; an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fedition.cnn.com\u002F2017\u002F11\u002F28\u002Fafrica\u002F3d-printer-electronic-waste\u002Findex.html\">innovative lab in Lomé, the capital city of Togo in West Africa, built the first “Made in Africa” 3D printer using e-waste\u003C\u002Fa>. Now, that’s what I call innovation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20662\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope.jpg\" alt=\"Digital health in Africa\" class=\"wp-image-20662\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fmama-ope-444x250.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.guardian.ng\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Less regulation and targeted policies: governments have a huge role in facilitating digital health for Africa\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2016, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmoney.cnn.com\u002F2016\u002F10\u002F13\u002Ftechnology\u002Frwanda-drone-hospital\u002F\">the Rwandan government teamed up with Zipline, a medical drone manufacturing company\u003C\u002Fa> to deliver medical supplies to five of its hospitals. The \u003Cstrong>American start-up appeared earlier on the African market than in the US – as the government supported it and looser regulations allowed it\u003C\u002Fstrong>. Within a year, Zipline plans to expand the program to nearly half of Rwanda’s 45 hospitals. After its Rwandan success, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.theverge.com\u002F2016\u002F8\u002F2\u002F12350274\u002Fzipline-drone-delivery-us-launch-blood-medicine\">the White House reached out to Zipline\u003C\u002Fa>. They expressed interest in delivering medicine and blood to rural parts of the US. Thus, the start-up announced in August 2017 that it brings its system to rural and remote communities in Maryland, Nevada, and Washington, including some Native American reservations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Something similar has been happening with telemedicine in Ghana. While some progress has been made in \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\u002Fpmc\u002Farticles\u002FPMC3709418\u002F\">South Africa, Ethiopia and Mali\u003C\u002Fa>, Ghana’s health service and ministry have committed to scaling up a telemedicine pilot project that has proven successful in one of its regions in increasing access to healthcare. While Novartis Foundation funded the set up of the pilot project, the government will have to ensure the sustainability of the project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>African governments seem to be aware of the fact how important digital health might be for their communities\u003C\u002Fstrong> in spite of the limitations of authoritarian leadership or rouge state-like lack of regulations in certain places. For example, African leaders gathered at the African Ministerial Dialogue on Digital Health Leadership at the 2017 World Health Assembly to affirm their commitment to digital health and identify the pathway to achieving robust digital health systems in their countries. A coordinated intra-national dialogue? Have you seen anything like it in Europe or the US?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20663\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda.jpg\" alt=\"Digital health in Africa\" class=\"wp-image-20663\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda-512x288.jpg 512w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fzipline-rwanda-444x250.jpg 444w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Source: www.youtube.com\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Medical Futurist is amazed by the creativity and innovative energy of the overall African tech scene and the sensitivity with which they are aiming to solve the acutest healthcare problems. African countries could be held up as examples how out-of-the-box attitudes, smart usage of scarce resources and government flexibility could boost cheap, creative and straightforward healthcare solutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Feepurl.com\u002FZejiT\">\u003Cb>Subscribe To The Medical Futurist℠ Newsletter\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>News shaping the future of healthcare\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Advice on taking charge of your health\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Reviews of the latest health technology\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",false,{"rendered":22,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Digital health in Africa is booming, and that’s the greatest news since the invention of broadband internet connection. The flourishing of disruptive solutions might go down to the fact that instead of relying on traditional infrastructure and a conventional healthcare system, populations in Africa need cheap, easily accessible and genuine problem-solving technologies. Why, when and how have they got there? Read on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n",6,20667,"closed",true,"","standard",{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,32],521,800,[34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47],130,425,206,207,526,246,630,271,275,289,316,322,324,406,[],[],[51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61],1729,1883,2133,2821,3757,4505,1571,1617,1681,1683,1723,[63,14,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84],"post-20658","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-future-medicine","category-healthcare-policy","tag-3d-printing-2","tag-technology-2","tag-digital","tag-digital-health","tag-africa","tag-future","tag-digital-technology","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-innovation","tag-mhealth","tag-mobile-2","tag-mobile-health","tag-smartphone",{"id":24,"alt_text":86,"caption":87,"description":27,"media_type":88,"media_details":89,"post":5,"source_url":123},"Digital Health in Africa","Source: www.seafoundation.tg","image",{"width":90,"height":91,"file":92,"sizes":93,"image_meta":120},870,490,"2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech.jpg",{"medium":94,"large":100,"thumbnail":105,"medium_large":109,"large_old_512x288":110,"medium_old_444x250":115},{"file":95,"width":96,"height":97,"mime-type":98,"source_url":99},"africa-tech-370x208.jpg",370,208,"image\u002Fjpeg","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech-370x208.jpg",{"file":101,"width":102,"height":103,"mime-type":98,"source_url":104},"africa-tech-768x433.jpg",768,433,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech-768x433.jpg",{"file":106,"width":107,"height":107,"mime-type":98,"source_url":108},"africa-tech-150x150.jpg",150,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech-150x150.jpg",{"file":101,"width":102,"height":103,"mime-type":98,"source_url":104},{"file":111,"width":112,"height":113,"mime-type":98,"source_url":114},"africa-tech-512x288.jpg",512,288,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech-512x288.jpg",{"file":116,"width":117,"height":118,"mime-type":98,"source_url":119},"africa-tech-444x250.jpg",444,250,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech-444x250.jpg",{"aperture":121,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":121,"copyright":27,"focal_length":121,"iso":121,"shutter_speed":121,"title":27,"orientation":121,"keywords":122},"0",[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fafrica-tech.jpg",{"related_posts":125,"related_posts_footer":129,"cta_type":27,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":20},[126,127,128],16450,17293,17277,[130,131,132],16626,16392,20908,{"yoast_wpseo_title":134,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":135,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":15},"Africa Is A Hotspot For Digital Health - The Medical Futurist","The great news is digital health in Africa is booming. The Medical Futurist explains why and how have they got there. Read on!",{"self":137,"collection":143,"about":146,"author":149,"replies":152,"version-history":155,"predecessor-version":159,"wp:featuredmedia":163,"wp:attachment":166,"wp:term":169,"curies":185},[138],{"href":139,"targetHints":140},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20658",{"allow":141},[142],"GET",[144],{"href":145},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts",[147],{"href":148},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftypes\u002Fpost",[150],{"embeddable":26,"href":151},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fusers\u002F6",[153],{"embeddable":26,"href":154},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=20658",[156],{"count":157,"href":158},17,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20658\u002Frevisions",[160],{"id":161,"href":162},46434,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20658\u002Frevisions\u002F46434",[164],{"embeddable":26,"href":165},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F20667",[167],{"href":168},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=20658",[170,173,176,179,182],{"taxonomy":171,"embeddable":26,"href":172},"category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=20658",{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":175},"post_tag","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=20658",{"taxonomy":177,"embeddable":26,"href":178},"project_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=20658",{"taxonomy":180,"embeddable":26,"href":181},"contact_email_category","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=20658",{"taxonomy":183,"embeddable":26,"href":184},"yst_prominent_words","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=20658",[186],{"name":187,"href":188,"templated":26},"wp","https:\u002F\u002Fapi.w.org\u002F{rel}",[190],{"id":132,"date":191,"date_gmt":192,"guid":193,"modified":195,"modified_gmt":196,"slug":197,"status":13,"type":14,"link":198,"title":199,"content":201,"excerpt":203,"author":23,"featured_media":205,"comment_status":25,"ping_status":25,"sticky":26,"template":27,"format":28,"meta":206,"categories":207,"tags":209,"project_category":214,"contact_email_category":217,"yst_prominent_words":218,"class_list":222,"better_featured_image":231,"acf":255,"yoast_meta":263,"_links":266},"2018-06-26T16:23:50","2018-06-26T14:23:50",{"rendered":194},"http:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002F?p=20908","2022-05-25T17:47:55","2022-05-25T15:47:55","healthcare-must-shift-from-chance-to-choice","https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fhealthcare-must-shift-from-chance-to-choice",{"rendered":200},"Healthcare Must Shift From Chance To Choice!",{"rendered":202,"protected":20},"\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"5px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp style=\"color: #555;font-size: 12px;line-height: 14px\">THIS ARTICLE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2018. THE INFORMATION SHARED IN THE ARTICLE WAS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF ITS PUBLICATION, BUT IT MAY BE OUT OF DATE NOW. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fmagazine\">BROWSE OUR LATEST ARTICLES HERE\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\u003C\u002Ftbody>\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on a massive amount of luck. The Medical Futurist team wants to help you reduce the role of that through the use of digital health technologies. We have launched a comprehensive campaign, From Chance To Choice, for every stakeholder in healthcare who wants to use innovative digital solutions that lead to informed decisions about our health or disease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003C!--more-->\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The power of taking actions with technology\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hugo Campos, a visual designer and creative director, became famous for his fight to obtain the data generated by his implanted defibrillator. Although his life depends on the device, after losing his health insurance, the defibrillator’s manufacturer denied him the data. As a Quantified Self-man who wants to measure his health parameters and reduce the risk of contingencies, Campos paid to take a course on cardiac rhythm management and purchased a pacemaker programmer on eBay. That gave him access to the implant, restored his autonomy and right to self–protection, as he himself claimed. Actually, he might be the only pacemaker–defibrillator patient with the ability to interrogate his own implant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>His story is about how to take matters into your hands when it’s about your own health. No matter whether that means going against a company decision trying the almost impossible. In this battle, technology is on our side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-20909\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"580\" src=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fkern-161211-hugo_campos_260.jpg\" alt=\"From Chance To Choice\" class=\"wp-image-20909\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fkern-161211-hugo_campos_260.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fkern-161211-hugo_campos_260-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fkern-161211-hugo_campos_260-512x341.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Medicine X | CITIZEN Hugo Campos. Source: https:\u002F\u002Fmedicinex.stanford.edu\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The need to move from chance to choice\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hugo Campos said he managed to “restore his autonomy”, others say he as a patient empowered himself through data and technology. No matter which expression you choose, the crucial point is that he cut out uncontrollable factors from his environment which could have negatively influenced his health. While you don’t have to take a course on cardiac rhythm management to be able to take ownership for your health, with some steps you could reduce the amount of uncertainty and contingency regarding your care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Do you think you don’t have to? Don’t you see how luck could get in the way of your health? Think about it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you fall ill, you will receive treatments if you feel a symptom in the right time, gain access to care in due time, get appropriate tests done reliably, your doctor makes the best decision for you based on one of the millions of medical papers out there, and you adhere fully to the therapy. Moreover, environmental effects and lifestyle choices have a massive impact on your quality of life. Can you count how many different parameters determine your patient pathway? Do you know how many can you influence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We should not accept this. That’s why we launch an international campaign to get From Chance To Choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>How to reduce the role of luck in healthcare?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Medical Futurist team wants to help decrease the role of the unforeseen in healthcare through the use of digital health technologies. That’s why \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice\">we have launched an international, long-term campaign for every stakeholder in healthcare\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>No matter whether you’re a patient, a physician, a policy-maker, a researcher, a developer, a techy or a pharma company, we will have practical tools for you about taking matters into your hand to make healthcare more predictable, and as a result more efficient and more preventive.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Ask Me About Digital\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the first step, we launched the “Ask Me About Digital” campaign to facilitate the doctor-patient communication about digital tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nowadays, if someone is diagnosed with an illness or has a symptom, they immediately turn to Google and try to find information online. However, more often than not, patients cannot discuss with their caregivers what they stumbled upon on the web or the data they measured with their health sensors at home, as they don’t know whether physicians are open to it, or they have already had a bad experience. We are eager to change that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That’s why we designed a badge for physicians who are open to discussing websites, apps, health sensors, wearables, etc. We already sent it out to the most enthusiastic GP’s to India, Hungary, and the US. To our utmost pleasure, we have already received the first positive stories!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"870\" height=\"489\" src=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002FAsk-Me-About-Digital-1.jpg\" alt=\"From Chance To Choice\" class=\"wp-image-20918\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002FAsk-Me-About-Digital-1.jpg 870w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002FAsk-Me-About-Digital-1-370x208.jpg 370w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002FAsk-Me-About-Digital-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002FAsk-Me-About-Digital-1-512x288.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Zsuzsanna Varga, a primary care physician in Budapest, put the Ask Me About Digital sticker on her door. She said that “\u003Cem>a \u003C\u002Fem>\u003Cem>young girl came in the other day who saw the badge earlier that week, so she was brave enough to come in and show me the pictures she took with her phone on her urticaria that only comes in the morning.\u003C\u002Fem> The patient also told me about how she googled her symptoms but couldn’t find any reasonable explanation. She was happy about the badge because she has mixed experiences of googling and interpreting it to healthcare practitioners. I think it’s a great possibility to get closer to younger generations because she felt safe and understood, so she won’t be hesitating next time she has any problem”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-20959\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" src=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-varga-zsuzsanna-384x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20959\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-varga-zsuzsanna-384x512.jpg 384w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-varga-zsuzsanna-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-varga-zsuzsanna.jpg 653w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Dr. Zsuzsanna Varga with her colleague\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-20961 size-large\">\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"359\" height=\"512\" src=\"http:\u002F\u002Fmedicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-vernes-réka-1-359x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20961\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-vernes-réka-1-359x512.jpg 359w, https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Fdr-vernes-réka-1.jpg 364w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px\" \u002F>\u003Cfigcaption>Dr. Réka Vernes putting the badge on her door\u003C\u002Ffigcaption>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you are a patient and see the badge on the door of your primary care physician, \u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Faskmeaboutdigital.com\">here is what you can expect\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If you want to stick the Ask Me About Digital badge on your door, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F02\u002F0531_amad_badge_info.pdf\">click here\u003C\u002Fa> (and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002F1712507217.rsc.cdn77.org\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2016\u002F02\u002F0507_amad_badge_print_cmyk_002.pdf\">here is the PDF\u003C\u002Fa> to upload based on the description). If you want to get a sticker from us for free, send your postal address (Country, city, zip code, address, name) to badge@medicalfuturist.com.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>To be continued…\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh1>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Our campaign train will not stop here. We can’t wait to present you our toolkit for physicians, policy-makers, pharma companies and other stakeholders in healthcare. Let’s move together from chance to choice! Join the discussion by using the hashtag #fromchancetochoice on every channel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #eee; border-top: 4px solid #444;\" cellpadding=\"10px\">\n\u003Ctbody>\n\u003Ctr>\n\u003Ctd style=\"width: 100%;\">\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>At The Medical Futurist, we are building a community for making a bold vision about the future of healthcare reality today.\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ciframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FFIbMejImnxs\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\n\u003Cp>If you’d like to support this mission, we invite you to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">join The Medical Futurist Patreon Community\u003C\u002Fa>. A community of empowered patients, future-oriented healthcare professionals, concerned health policymakers, sensible health tech developers, and enthusiastic medical students. If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. Every contribution, however big or small, powers our research and sustains our future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.patreon.com\u002Fthemedicalfuturist\">\u003Cstrong style=\"background-color: #e71d3299; color: #000;\">Click here to support The Medical Futurist from as little as $3\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fa> – it only takes a minute. Thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Ftd>\n\u003C\u002Ftr>\n\u003C\u002Ftbody>\n\u003C\u002Ftable>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Feepurl.com\u002FZejiT\">\u003Cb>Subscribe To The Medical Futurist℠ Newsletter\u003C\u002Fb>\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\u003Cli>News shaping the future of healthcare\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Advice on taking charge of your health\u003C\u002Fli>\u003Cli>Reviews of the latest health technology\u003C\u002Fli>\u003C\u002Ful>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"rendered":204,"protected":20},"\u003Cp>Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on a massive amount of luck. The Medical Futurist team wants to help you reduce the role of that through the use of digital health technologies. We have launched a comprehensive campaign, From Chance To Choice, for every stakeholder in healthcare who wants to use innovative digital solutions that lead to informed decisions about our health or disease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n",20916,{"_acf_changed":20,"footnotes":27},[31,208],499,[40,210,39,211,212,42,43,213,35],852,272,954,347,[215,216],950,951,[],[219,220,221,57,60,51,52],2053,2405,3825,[223,14,64,65,66,67,68,69,224,77,225,76,226,227,79,80,228,72,229,230],"post-20908","category-healthcare-design","tag-empowered-patient","tag-health-20","tag-from-chance-to-choice","tag-patient","project_category-medical-professionals","project_category-patients",{"id":205,"alt_text":232,"caption":27,"description":27,"media_type":88,"media_details":233,"post":132,"source_url":254},"From Chance To Choice",{"width":90,"height":234,"file":235,"sizes":236,"image_meta":252},489,"2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice.png",{"medium":237,"large":241,"thumbnail":245,"medium_large":248,"large_old_512x288":249},{"file":238,"width":96,"height":97,"mime-type":239,"source_url":240},"from-chance-to-choice-370x208.png","image\u002Fpng","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice-370x208.png",{"file":242,"width":102,"height":243,"mime-type":239,"source_url":244},"from-chance-to-choice-768x432.png",432,"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice-768x432.png",{"file":246,"width":107,"height":107,"mime-type":239,"source_url":247},"from-chance-to-choice-150x150.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice-150x150.png",{"file":242,"width":102,"height":243,"mime-type":239,"source_url":244},{"file":250,"width":112,"height":113,"mime-type":239,"source_url":251},"from-chance-to-choice-512x288.png","https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice-512x288.png",{"aperture":121,"credit":27,"camera":27,"caption":27,"created_timestamp":121,"copyright":27,"focal_length":121,"iso":121,"shutter_speed":121,"title":27,"orientation":121,"keywords":253},[],"https:\u002F\u002Fcdn.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2018\u002F06\u002Ffrom-chance-to-choice.png",{"related_posts":256,"related_posts_footer":259,"cta_type":27,"cta_color":27,"subtitle":27,"related_books":20},[257,258,127],17980,21234,[260,261,262],21494,21958,21271,{"yoast_wpseo_title":264,"yoast_wpseo_metadesc":265,"yoast_wpseo_canonical":198},"Healthcare Must Shift From Chance To Choice! - The Medical Futurist","We launched a campaign, From Chance To Choice, for every stakeholder in healthcare who wants to use digital technologies to reduce luck in healthcare.",{"self":267,"collection":272,"about":274,"author":276,"replies":278,"version-history":281,"predecessor-version":285,"wp:featuredmedia":289,"wp:attachment":292,"wp:term":295,"curies":306},[268],{"href":269,"targetHints":270},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20908",{"allow":271},[142],[273],{"href":145},[275],{"href":148},[277],{"embeddable":26,"href":151},[279],{"embeddable":26,"href":280},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcomments?post=20908",[282],{"count":283,"href":284},20,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20908\u002Frevisions",[286],{"id":287,"href":288},46440,"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fposts\u002F20908\u002Frevisions\u002F46440",[290],{"embeddable":26,"href":291},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia\u002F20916",[293],{"href":294},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fmedia?parent=20908",[296,298,300,302,304],{"taxonomy":171,"embeddable":26,"href":297},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcategories?post=20908",{"taxonomy":174,"embeddable":26,"href":299},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Ftags?post=20908",{"taxonomy":177,"embeddable":26,"href":301},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fproject_category?post=20908",{"taxonomy":180,"embeddable":26,"href":303},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fcontact_email_category?post=20908",{"taxonomy":183,"embeddable":26,"href":305},"https:\u002F\u002Fapi.medicalfuturist.com\u002Fwp-json\u002Fwp\u002Fv2\u002Fyst_prominent_words?post=20908",[307],{"name":187,"href":188,"templated":26},[],1785696779020]