Tablet-based Community Health Intervention with Integrated Fingerprint Scanning

Management of unique identity in any electronic medical record (EMR) system or other longitudinal tracking systems can be a significant challenge, particularly in low resource environments. In rural Nepal, this issue is made worse by similar names, the lack of a national identifier, and poor coverage of alternative systems such as addresses or phone numbers.

Possible Health, our local implementing partner is addressing this challenge through a full continuum of care approach, strengthening service delivery through enhancing the connection between facility-based services and home visits.

We mapped out a custom CommCare solution that could address the identification issue, enhance household visits, and improve the day-to-day work for Community Health Workers (CHWs). The solution includes core capabilities, which can be built upon over time as the service delivery expands and the workforce grows.

Possible and Dimagi worked on an integration with SimPrints, the developer of a rugged and precise fingerprint scanning tool created for use in remote and resource poor settings.

A CommCare-SimPrints application was implemented first for Possible’s CHW workforce. The fingerprint scanner is fully integrated into CommCare, resulting in a seamless workflow of registration and follow-up visits, including a simple ID system that has been easily adopted by the CHW workforce. The CHWs are now able to register, track and manage 30,000 beneficiaries in some of the most difficult to reach communities in Nepal.

A second phase of deployment will integrate the scanner into the medical facility registration workflow. On first visit, patients will be able to provide a fingerprint scan, leading to more efficient subsequent visits. The scan will improve the facility’s ability to identify the correct health record and significantly improve duplication issues.

Upon deployment of both phases, a patient can be registered at the facility and a CHW can then scan that same patient in the community, accessing a version of the patient’s record in order to follow them throughout the continuum of care.

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