Nigerian Health Services (NHS)

*Our presentation with its description can be found at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uC2jIu9GYSJzWjCpOdTvEZ102D5EllkdJMS5alz-DNE/edit#slide=id.g5f01a4486c_0_12 *

Inspiration We believe in a world where every person can claim their right to health and care. To achieve this, people need access to health workers and facilities to receive the care they need. We have created a unique application that connects Nigerian community members to health services, facilities and workers, locally and virtually.

What it does In the registration screen you add key information a medical professional would need to your profile, including allergies, previous history and current medications onto a protected server.

The app firstly asks its user whether there is a medical emergency, in which case, it will immediately connect them to the cities existing emergency health services

It then provides the reader with 3 options: Connect them with information (Consult a directory of common illness), Connect them with a facility (Find a nearby health facility or health worker), and Connect them with a health worker (Via phone or video connection)

The directory of common illnesses gives patients an opportunity to use physician-verified, evidence-based, but easily understandable information and advice about common symptoms such as coughing, headache, stomach aches and injuries. Patients are informed about alarm symptoms in which cases they should not wait to consult a health professional (red light), symptoms that they should seek to consult a professional in the upcoming weeks (orange), or symptoms for which they may apply household remedies, for example in the case of removing a tick, or the common cold. You can search on symptoms, or click on a body part that gives you potential symptoms and illnesses and can The nearby facilities function shows patients facilities and individual health workers within their area, providing their distance, services, and costs. Patients can either book an appointment at these facilities or, for example when they have limited mobility, book a healthcare worker in the area to come to them who is available (just as you would book a nearby Uber) Connect to a health worker gives patients a chance to link up with one of the available health workers without leaving their chair for a short consultation.

How we built it We have used Sketch for prototyping and created an app in Android

Challenges we ran into We had initially wanted to use the app to help people in rural areas, but limited health literacy, access to internet and electricity, have made us switch to an urban area as a prototype

Accomplishments that we're proud of This app would be the first service that would overcome the major issue of lacking public awareness to find health facilities.

What we learned There are many new challenges that come up in every step you take trying to solve problems

What's next for Nigerian Health Services (NHS) Pilot in Lagos, then expand services to other health providers (nurses, nutritionists, midwives, community health workers), expand to rural areas, find new ways to overcome lacking access to internet facilities.