Leveraging smart glasses for telemedicine to improve primary healthcare services and referrals in a remote rural district, Kingandu, DRC, 2019–2020

Figures & data

Figure 1. A health centre nurse wearing the Smart Glasses during a consultation

Table 1. Utilisation of the smart glasses (September 2019 to December 2020)

Purpose of use of Smart Glasses	Times used	(%)
Curative Care
Under-5	225
>5 years	265
Total	490	(79%)
Pre- and postnatal care
Prenatal	35
Postnatal	3
Total	38	(6%)
Delivery care
Childbirth	7
Newborn care	5
Total	12	(2%)
Assistance with laboratory tests	82	(13%)
Grand Total	622	(100%)

Table 2. Average monthly consultations and referrals for the 3 rural health centres with smart glasses (September–December 2020)

	Visits without use of Smart Glasses	Visits with use of Smart Glasses	Total visits
Health centre visits	643	69	712
Referrals from the health centre to the hospital	21	27	48
Referrals arrived at the hospital	18	26	44
(Potentially) life-saving intervention during hospitalisation	0	7	7

Figure 2. Average monthly consultations and referrals for the 3 rural health centres with smart glasses (September–December 2020)

Table 3. Costs of the project

Category	Purpose	Cost (CAD)
Investments in equipment	Smart Glasses (including phone & software): CAD 2,650/set (special not-for-profit price)*15 for the entire project (3 health centres and district hospital, including laboratory)	39,750
	VSATs for 4 sites (special not-for-profit price)	8,000
	Motorcycles: moto-ambulance (CAD 5,000) and transport for project manager (CAD 4,000)	9,000
	Diagnostic equipment: Hemocue, glucometer, and oximeter: CAD 4,425 per site (3 sites)	13,275
Project costs including training	Project staff + travel + admin + indirect costs	163,975
	Communication (special not-for-profit price)	16,000
	TOTAL	250,000

Table 4. Results of the introduction of the telemedicine innovation plus moto-ambulances as reported by stakeholders

Improved diagnosis by health centre staff, thanks to support by the remote doctor in real-time, and new diagnostic tests Improved medical skills of health centre staff Improved referral system, with more timely referrals for patients needing hospital care, and avoidance of unnecessary referrals for patients that could be treated at the health centre Major improvement in the relation between the health district and the health centres. Efficient introduction of new diagnostics tests in health centres Remote formative supervision possible Improved convenience and access to care for the underserved population Increased confidence of population resulting in more people visiting the health centres and increased income from user fees