Exciting Advances: Mobile Technology to Save Lives

Grounds for Health has become a respected and trusted member of the global health community driven by a common vision of a world where no woman dies from cervical cancer.

Nearly 10 years ago we were among the first organizations to embrace the Single Visit Approach—same-day visual inspection with acetic acid (vinegar) screening and treatment with cryotherapy (freezing)—as the most appropriate way to prevent cervical cancer in low-resource settings. The World Health Organization has since endorsed this approach in their cervical cancer prevention guidelines, and many other organizations around the world have successfully adopted the same methods.

While this has been, and continues to be, an effective approach, we have no intention of sitting back and assuming that this will always be the best way. We are always on the lookout for new technologies and ideas that could have the greatest long-term ROI—in our case, saving women from a preventable death. From Pap to the Single Visit Approach to whatever lies ahead, we never lose sight of that elusive goal: a world without cervical cancer.

What excites us most these days in terms of both availability and impact is how mobile technology can improve care from thousands of miles away. At this very moment we are using mobile technology to make innovative advances in digital cervicography.

What is digital cervicography?

Put simply, digital cervicography is the practice of taking a photo of the cervix during cervical cancer screening. The photo can be used for consultation with an expert. Photos can also be regularly reviewed as part of a quality assurance program or used for training purposes. The applications are many.

Cervicography has been used for years in the United States, and at Grounds for Health we are using it as a cornerstone of our quality assurance programs.

Advances in digital cameras, smartphones and connectivity have opened the door to using cervicography in even the most remote settings.

How could it affect Grounds for Health?

As mentioned in a recent Daily Beast article, Grounds for Health has played a role in supporting start-up MobileODT as they improve a hand-held cervicography device called the Enhanced Visual Assessment System or EVA, which is designed specifically for low-resource settings.

Our clinical field staff in Ethiopia and Kenya each have one of these devices for use during training campaigns and supportive supervision visits. Once they take a picture with a smartphone, the image instantly and securely syncs through the cloud to one of our clinical experts in the United States for review, feedback and recommendations.

But the beauty of EVA System is that it’s much more than just “take a picture and send it on.” Attached to the smartphone is a high resolution lens with a handle, light and timer. And then it is the app that is key to the whole thing. It allows you to confidentially document the screening results and management plan on each patient, as well as the vital information that will allow for good tracking and follow-up. It even includes a decision tree to help the provider systematically document each finding, their decision and the plan. It’s much more than just “screening with a smartphone,” but a tool that can help clinicians in the field continuously improve their skills and ultimately provide better care for women.

Why is it exciting?

We no longer have to be there in person to provide clinical guidance and skill development. Even from Vermont we can ensure the clinical quality of the work done by our in-country staff and, by association, the providers they are supervising.

In addition, women have the opportunity see their own cervixes for the very first time, which they are surprisingly delighted to do!

As an organization focused on real-world results, it is exciting to be involved in a high-tech solution to the geographic challenges we face every day. Thank you to MobileODT for introducing us to an effective new technology and for seeking our feedback in this pioneering effort.