A mobile app that is designed to provide easy accessibility of the medical Laboratory by Laboratory users. Its offline functionality includes home based phlebotomy and Laboratory specimen Logistics.
THE TEAM MLS. OLORUNLANA TEMILOLUWA (Licensed medical Laboratory scientist and member of International Association of Public Health Logisticians) MLS. OLANIYAN OLAWALE(Licensed Medical Laboratory Scientist) DR. ADEYEMO ADEBIYI (Licensed Medical Doctor) Engr. ODUSOTE MAYOKUN (Certified IT expert and Entrepreneur)
SCENARIOS Recently, thinkwithgoogle shared their performance in 2017. The New consumer behaviors that defined Google’s Year in search revealed that people are specific, impatient, curious and demanding in their online search. They want to have an exact location of place at a time. With much search of “near me” on events, stores and restaurants
(thinkwithgoogle.com/consumerinsights/marketing-trends-year-in-search-2017).
Scenarios As a medical Laboratory Scientist, many a people has approached me with questions such as: where can I locate a Laboratory to get certain tests done? My life and/or my patients’ lives worth more to me than ever, therefore, where can I get quality Laboratory tests?
Scenarios Thus, as times fly by, with the google analysis and my various observations there will soon be a paradigm shift to people's high demand for quality health service in which the medical laboratory plays a principal role.
Relatively, there has been an increase in the number of Laboratory users over time.
Another case: Few years back, in Nigeria it happened that some medical team experts (The physicians and surgeons) on a trip to an health conference had a fatal accident that claimed their lives. Some lives were lost due to the fact that there wasn’t blood available for transfusion or they couldn’t locate a blood transfusion service center easily.
The Problem: There is a common problem to all these aforementioned scenarios, which is easy accessibility to medical Laboratory Service by Locating a Laboratory quickly, as at when needed. Another problem observed is the inability to offer any home service to patients that are immobile like paralysed patients, or those who are avoiding stigmatization such as HIV patients or Tuberculosis patients.
The Solution: Advent of technology: Designation of a Mobile App or/and web based app which takes the advantage of GPS and Cloud technology to design an online solution bringing the Laboratory closer to the Laboratory users. Offline: Provision of Mobile Phlebotomist and Specimen Logisticians that express professionalism in Sample collection and transportation to the Laboratory
Solution Also, a Laboratory Information System (LIS) that helps to track laboratory test results to facilitate quick access and test result delivery. Lastly, a platform that helps professionals access more information about test required and the nonprofessionals grasp a better perspective of what the test is or/and why it is needed.
Solution LAB-REQ (An abbronym for Laboratory
Request) Lab-req is the app that we envisage to tackle all this challenges. It promises to integrate other app to enhance further information on test such as Labtestonline.org and WebMD or other reliable and authentic health information platform.
Solution Lab-Req, with the advent of professionals promise to provide both the app-users (which are potential or actual Laboratory users) with the List of Laboratories close to them, their international standard certification for quality or Local accreditation by the Medical Laboratory accrediting bodies, List of test endorsed for performance, Turn around time of each test, and cost price of each test.
Further Advantage of Lab-Req It will keep the datas of both the Laboratories available in the society or country (even the world at large as times goes on) It will keep the record of every successful use of each Laboratories by the Laboratory users, thus keeping record and patient results confidential. Which will not be shared with third party other than the Laboratory and the clients. Bridge the gap between the medical Laboratories and the Health professionals. There are still a lot of advantage that are yet to be unlocked as times goes on with the development of the app.
Financing (The brain box): This project is a big project that needs huge finance and human resources. Therefore a need to critically analyze how to make it a revenue generating app is crucial. Initially the bearing cost will be on the Laboratories that uses the Mobile App.
Financing
Then, the Laboratory users, upon whom a certain token will be charged to use the application. And for offline services and proper monitoring there will be proper funding. Another intended means of generating revenue is from the data that will be collated, like lists of Laboratories available, most frequently ordered tests and many more. There will also be another revenue generation from the Advertisement of the Laboratories and other health equipments as we partner with manufacturing and suppliers internationally. As the application becomes popularly accepted.
Financing This project will subsequently source for fund from World Health Organization, and other sponsors both locally and internationally. However, currently in its initial stage that we are working on the app development and performing a pilot study, collating datas of laboratories in our communities(as a start, Ibadan town in Oyo State) and expand to the entire nation at large. Hopefully this project appeal to the heart of africaconnekt.org to scale through the initial phase of this project.
Concluding Note: The Laboratory Department has been the brain box of most medical decisions (about 70%) (Silverstein, 2003), and it accounts for the lowest costs as low as 2.3% of total health care dollars(Terry, 2009). It has been discovered to be a billion dollar industry as revealed by (Hilbert et. al., 2017) With this in mind, one could see that this is a project that will promote quality health at a minimized cost and it will facilitate a closer relationship and understanding of health by both health professionals and the general populace.
Final words:
Our health is wealth, if we will make use of every of the available resources such as the tech industry to assist us in improving our lives. In one of his annual post on facebook, Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the importance of community interactions and relationships in promoting a Nation’s Economy at large—A lesson from his tour through some states in the United States of America. Thanks. Temiloluwa. NB: These proposal is subjected to any observation, advice, and/or correction. Kindly share and improve this post on Africaconnekt.org
References: MD Silverstein: An approach to medical errors and patient safety in laboratory sciences—A white paper. 2003 Quality Institute Conference Atlanta April 13-15; pp:1;23. M. Terry Lab industry strategic outlook: Market trends & analysis 2009. 2009 Newark, N.J. washington G2 5-97. T. Hilbert; A. Kurec; M.S. Lifshitz Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods 2017. R. A. McPherson and M. R. Pincus. Edition 23. St. Louis, Misosouri: Elsevier, 2017. p:2
Thank you… Olorunlana Temiloluwa Address: No 15, Aleshinloye Street, Adegbayi, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. +2348161375339.
