ChronicCareCareers

Inspiration

According to the National Kidney Foundation in Singapore, there has been a growing surge in the number of kidney patients. The National Population Health Survey found that more than 300,000 people locally suffer from chronic kidney disease, while many cases remain undetected. As the incidence of kidney patients increases in Singapore, there is an urgent need to bring employers to empathize with their health condition and understand their unique skill sets. In doing so, patients can be employed and become more financially stable to support their treatment. Hence, our project intends to help satisfy this need, for employers and kidney patients.

Market Research

With the surging number of kidney patients in Singapore, further efforts should be devoted to providing healthcare needs and beyond. In the latter case, it is worrying to note that 61% of patients under the Kidney Dialysis Foundation have income levels with $1,000 and below. Coupled with the annual cost of $25,000 for their treatment, patients often face significant financial strain. Unfortunately, many employers might be concerned about the patient’s ability to work (National Kidney Foundation, 2023). This could potentially lead to lower incomes earned by kidney patients, an outcome observed in other societies (Roberti et al., 2018). Another study corroborates the incidence of low employment of kidney patients, the social inequality in attaining employment and the strong need to support these patients (Kirkeskov et al., 2021). Despite the impaired work productivity that kidney patients might have (Savira et al., 2021), 61% of patients locally are still independent and mobile. Since greater awareness of kidney diseases is pivotal to enabling employment and hence life participation (Kalantar-Zadeh et al., 2021, Harris, 2022), there is an urgent need to provide a platform to allow employers to empathize with patients and enable them to participate as part of the workforce. What it does

Our project intends to (1) enable employers to empathize with kidney patients, (2) highlight the untapped potential and skill sets each kidney patient has and (3) provide greater convenience for kidney patients to search, apply and secure jobs suited to them. Through this multi-faceted approach, we aim to empower kidney patients with employment through better mutual and contextual understanding with employers to improve their financial position. Therefore, a streamlined application for both employers and kidney patients is proposed.

How we built it

The development of the prototype for the job board involved utilizing two key technologies: Figma for interface design and Python for the implementation of the machine learning and matching-algorithm models.

Figma was used as the design platform for the job board's interface due to its user-friendly and collaborative nature. Figma allows for the creation of high-fidelity prototypes with a variety of design tools, making it possible to bring the vision for the job board to life with ease. The ability to share designs and receive feedback in real-time also allowed for efficient collaboration between the design and development teams.

Python was chosen as the programming language for the implementation of the machine learning and matching-algorithm models due to its versatility and robust ecosystem. After collecting job seeker data, the models are responsible for matching job seekers with relevant job postings. This was achieved by analyzing the skills, experience, and requirements of job seekers, as well as the requirements of the job postings, to find the best matches.

By utilizing Figma for interface design and Python for the implementation of the machine learning and matching-algorithm models, the job board prototype was able to deliver a high-quality user experience while leveraging cutting-edge technology to make the job search process more efficient and effective for kidney dialysis patients.

Challenges we ran into

Convincing employers to remove their bias: To convince employers to remove their bias when using the app, it is important to emphasize the legal and ethical implications of discrimination in the hiring process. Employers should be made aware of the importance of following anti-discrimination laws and regulations, and how a biased hiring process can negatively impact their organization's reputation.

Creating resources to educate employers: Creating educational resources such as informational webinars, training materials, and workshops can help employers understand how to use the app in a fair and unbiased manner. This type of education can provide guidance on how to use the app in a way that is inclusive and free of discrimination.

Accommodating the schedule of kidney dialysis patients: Many kidney dialysis patients require regular treatments, which can make it difficult for them to attend job interviews or work a full-time schedule. To accommodate these individuals, the app should have a feature that allows employers to indicate that they are willing to work with a dialysis patient's schedule. This will help these individuals find employment opportunities that work for them and accommodate their treatment schedule.

What we learnt

1. Understanding of the target audience: Building a job board specifically for kidney dialysis patients requires an understanding of their unique needs and requirements. This includes understanding the physical demands of the jobs they can perform and their specific health concerns.
2. Importance of accessible design: For patients with chronic health conditions, it is essential to ensure that the job board is accessible and user-friendly. This includes designing with larger fonts, clear navigation, and minimizing clutter.
3. Utilizing technology to match job seekers with relevant jobs: Machine learning and matching algorithms were used to match job seekers with job postings that were most relevant to their skills, experience, and requirements. This helped to streamline the job search process for kidney dialysis patients and increase the chances of finding a job that was well-suited to their needs.

What’s next

The next step in the development of the job board for kidney dialysis patients is the creation of additional educational resources and the improvement of the machine learning algorithms.

The creation of educational resources will be critical in helping job seekers understand how to use the job board effectively and how to navigate the job search process. This might include resources such as tutorials, videos, and FAQs that will provide step-by-step guidance on how to create a profile, search for job postings, and apply for jobs. These resources will be designed to be user-friendly and accessible, taking into account the needs of the target audience.

The machine learning algorithms will be continuously improved to ensure they are providing the best possible match between job seekers and job postings. This will involve analyzing the performance of the algorithms and identifying areas for improvement, such as increasing the accuracy of the match scores or improving the relevance of job postings recommended to job seekers. By continually refining the algorithms, the job board will become increasingly effective in helping kidney dialysis patients find suitable job opportunities.

The focus on creating educational resources and improving the machine learning algorithms is a testament to the commitment of the development team to providing the best possible experience for job seekers. The ultimate goal is to create a job board that is not only accessible and user-friendly, but also highly effective in matching job seekers with the jobs that are best suited to their needs and requirements.

References

Harris, T. (2022). Lifestyle Interventions in Improving Health Outcomes and Enabling People to Live Well with Kidney Disease. Kidney and Dialysis, 2(2), 204-208.

Kalantar-Zadeh, K., Li, P. K. T., Tantisattamo, E., Kumaraswami, L., Liakopoulos, V., Lui, S. F., ... & World Kidney Day Steering Committee Li Philip Kam Tao Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar Andreoli Sharon Balducci Alessandro Dupuis Sophie Kumaraswami Latha Liakopoulos Vassilios Lui Siu-Fai Saadi Gamal Ulasi Ifeoma. (2021). Living well with kidney disease by patient and care-partner empowerment: kidney health for everyone everywhere. American journal of hypertension, 34(2), 220-225.

Kirkeskov, L., Carlsen, R. K., Lund, T., & Buus, N. H. (2021). Employment of patients with kidney failure treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation—a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC nephrology, 22(1), 1-17.

National Kidney Foundation. (2023). Working with Kidney Disease: Rehabilitation and Employment. Assessed 6 February 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/working Roberti, J., Cummings, A., Myall, M., Harvey, J., Lippiett, K., Hunt, K., ... & May, C. R. (2018). Work of being an adult patient with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review of qualitative studies. BMJ open, 8(9), e023507.

Savira, F., Ademi, Z., Wang, B. H., Kompa, A. R., Owen, A. J., Liew, D., & Zomer, E. (2021). The preventable productivity burden of kidney disease in Australia. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 32(4), 938-949.

Built With

• figma
• python