Redesigning Portable Health Clinic Platform as a Remote Healthcare System to Tackle COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Unreached Communities.

Masuda Begum Sampa,Fumihiko Yokota,Rafiqul Islam,Ashir Ahmed,Md Moshiur Rahman,Md Rakibul Hoque,Faiz Shah,Naoki Nakashima,Kimiyo Kikuchi,Mariko Nishikitani

doi:10.3390/ijerph17134709

Abstract

Medical staff carry an inordinate risk of infection from patients, and many doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers are affected by COVID-19 worldwide. The unreached communities with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, digestive, or renal diseases became more vulnerable during this pandemic situation. In both cases, Remote Healthcare Systems (RHS) may help minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This study used the WHO guidelines and Design Science Research (DSR) framework to redesign the Portable Health Clinic (PHC), an RHS, for the containment of the spread of COVID-19 as well as proposed corona logic (C-Logic) for the main symptoms of COVID-19. Using the distributed service platform of PHC, a trained healthcare worker with appropriate testing kits can screen high-risk individuals and can help optimize triage to medical services. PHC with its new triage algorithm (C-Logic) classifies the patients according to whether the patient needs to move to a clinic for a PCR test. Through modified PHC service, we can help people to boost their knowledge, attitude (feelings/beliefs), and self-efficacy to execute preventing measures. Our initial examination of the suitability of the PHC and its associated technologies as a key contributor to public health responses is designed to “flatten the curve”, particularly among unreached high-risk NCD populations in developing countries. Theoretically, this study contributes to design science research by introducing a modified healthcare providing model.

Highlights

Beginning at the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by WHO on 11March 2020 [1,2]
Respiratory infections can be transmitted through droplets of different sizes, and according to current evidence, the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets when a person comes in close contact with someone who has respiratory symptoms [4,5]
To design a useful information system-based healthcare service based on the WHO guidelines, we resorted to following the directions and guidelines as proposed in Information System Research (ISR)

Summary

Introduction

Beginning at the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by WHO on 11March 2020 [1,2]. Beginning at the end of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by WHO on 11. Respiratory infections can be transmitted through droplets of different sizes, and according to current evidence, the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets (with a particle size of >5–10 μm) when a person comes in close contact (within 1 m) with someone who has respiratory symptoms [4,5]. Other contact routes, such as the immediate environment around the infected person, may cause transmission of the virus [6]. SARS-CoV-2 became a pandemic virus due to a multitude of factors such as the early spread of the virus by asymptomatic carriers, uncontrolled social behaviors, and insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE), and both the advanced and developing medical systems appear overwhelmed

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Conclusion