SMARThealth MLTC: Development and feasibility testing of a comprehensive management package for multiple long-term conditions in India and Indonesia
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Background
- SMARThealth is a digital primary health care ecosystem developed by The George Institute to overcome limitations in chronic disease care, particularly in low resource settings. Designed for use by community healthcare workers (CHWs), it supports the Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) of chronic conditions through evidence-based point of care decision support.
- People living with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) often receive care that is disjointed and focused on individual diseases rather than the person as a whole. This siloed approach leads to suboptimal health outcomes and inefficiencies in the healthcare system.
- Current health services are not designed to manage the complex and intersecting needs of individuals with MLTCs. There is a pressing need to develop integrated, person-centred approaches that can deliver coordinated, high-quality care for people with MLTCs in low-resource settings.
Aim
- To develop and conduct a preliminary assessment of integrated clinical algorithms and care workflows to support the systematic medical appraisal, referral, and treatment of individuals with MLTCs using the SMARThealth platform.
- To assess to assess the feasibility of implementing the SMARThealth MLTC platform in real-world settings.
Research Methodology
- The project will use consultations, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to understand the perspectives of patients, physicians, nurses, CHWs, and administrators.
- Clinical experts will review existing SMARThealth treatment plans and relevant medical guidelines to adapt and integrate them into digital algorithms for improved MLTC decision support.
- The resulting SMARThealth MLTC algorithms and care workflows will then be evaluated for feasibility by primary healthcare physicians and CHWs in India and Indonesia.
Photo credit: The George Institute for Global Health
