Smart Connect
Richard J Anderson, Eric Blantz, David Lubinski, Eleanor O’Rourke, Mark Summer, Krysta Yousoufian · 2010
In this paper we address the problem of providing data connection to the periphery of the health system by presenting Smart Connect. Smart Connect is a custom device that uses the cell phone network to provide limited data connectivity between a rural health facility and a server connected to the Internet. Through an analysis of the health systems in Nicaragua and Vietnam, we have identified a variety of processes that could be improved with this device. These include filing incidence reports on diseases, receiving results of diagnostic test, and providing automatic monitoring of vaccine refrigeration equipment. The main contributions of this work include a presentation of the Smart Connect requirements derived from the health care systems of Nicaragua and Vietnam, an argument in favor of facility based communication devices, and a brief discussion of the design for the Smart Connect device.