A University of Pretoria (UP) accelerator programme start-up, Aviro Health, has developed an automated chatbot app, Pocket Clinic for the Western Cape Department of Health which works via WhatsApp and confirms delivery of chronic medication to patients’ homes.
Pocket Clinic also allows high-risk chronic patients to confirm an existing appointment before accessing services at their attending healthcare facility, which means they do not have to wait in long queues when they get there.
Aviro Health is a design-focused health company that uses digital tools to improve the experience of healthcare. The company specialises in designing and implementing mHealth (mobile health) interventions that address the challenges at the interface between patients and health workers.
TuksNovation, UP’s technology incubator and accelerator, has supported Aviro Health since February 2019. TuksNovation provides specialised product and business development support and enables technology start-ups to commercialise innovative technology with social and economic impact.
Since the soft launch of the Pocket Clinic healthbot in mid-May 2020, over 700 users have accessed the chatbot app, with over 500 completed orders to receive chronic medication.
Additionally, approximately 100 users have requested callbacks from healthcare providers in their respective facilities through the platform.
These users all heard about the tool by word of mouth from existing users and made their requests from all over the Cape Town metropole, from Mitchells Plain, Plumstead and Edgemead, to the CBD.
“The Department wanted a system that would respond to high-risk chronic patient queries timeously and to give people peace of mind that their medication will be delivered to their homes. The system also allows our high-risk healthcare workers the opportunity to assist clients with their queries without placing their lives in danger as well,” says Mohamed Sonday, pharmacist at Mitchells Plain Hospital.
“Not only has the chatbot been of value in helping communities receive their medication, but it has also been an easy way for patients to manage their health without increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and simplified the medication distribution process for staff at our healthcare facilities,” says Sonday.
Lyanne Mapani, product manager at Aviro Health, says there have been lessons on how the platform can better accommodate users who are requesting deliveries on behalf of patients.
“Together with the Department, we are looking at ways to improve the chatbot so that it can be responsive and better serve users who are accessing it to make requests for their loved ones and fellow community members. The tool is clearly of value, but we want to make sure that we are reaching patients where they are. We are looking forward to launching additional features in the future, such as offering the service in multiple languages and supporting users in booking appointments,” says Mapani.
Between April and May 2020, the second and third months of the Covid-19 lockdown in the country, the department ensured that approximately 159 000 pre-packed chronic medication parcels were delivered to stable patients’ homes living in the Western Cape.
To ensure the safety of vulnerable patients, the department has provided all stable and high-risk patients with a two-month supply of chronic medication.
Once their medication has been depleted, community health workers will deliver medication to their homes.
The department’s data shows people with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, TB, HIV/Aids, cancer, chronic lung disease and heart disease are at higher risk of becoming severely ill with Covid-19. These persons are invited to join the Pocket Clinic chatbot to confirm their medication delivery by adding the number 087 240 6122 to their mobile phones and sending a message saying “hi” to start the WhatsApp Chatbot conversation.