Dispatch from India

I spent last week in Bihar, an area of Northern India near Nepal.  The best way to describe the journey is in pictures.Our small team visited villages along the Ganges to the east of Patna, tracing the path of patients from seeking care to diagnosis to treatment to compliance to wellness.  We met with patients, providers, field officers (think of them as care managers), chemists (pharmacists), and labs.   Here ' s what we experienced:The villages had hand pumped water supplies, electricity and 4G cellular connections.  Cows and goats were a part of many households.A unique telemedicine program from World Health Partners (WHP) provided access to experts, connecting each village to trained clinicians in urban areas.   We participated in such a consultation.We visited patients in their homes to hear their stories.  All of us were touched by Pooja, a 25 year old new mother who spent 70,000 rupees (about $1000) on unnecessary medical care due to a misdiagnosis.  She had to sell her land and her cow to pay for healthcare.  We ' ve started ago fund me to help rebuild her life.We reviewed medical records and imaging studies, which in India are maintained by patients and families.  In this photo, I ' m reviewing the records of a TB patient who is feeling better after treatment, but appears to have a negative initial chest X-ray.We visited a local lab which offered a menu of diagnostic tests ranging in price from $.7...
Source: Life as a Healthcare CIO - Category: Information Technology Source Type: blogs