IMPALA SYSTEM; Working with Health Workers for the Patient

Who is GOAL3

GOAL3 is a social enterprise making waves in East Africa. Mind you, we mean waves, not ripples by tiny pebbles in a paddle on the road. Waves, like big ocean waves you can surf.

That aside. Do you even know what it takes to turn faces in the African Health Tech space?

You've got to be unique, create a real impact on the ground not just on paper, and deliver innovative solutions in the same breath. We'll talk about that in a later issue, let's focus on GOAL3.

59% reduction in mortality, over 1250 patients impacted, and a decrease in complications by up to 14% already and counting, GOAL3 is reaching for the stars. Talk about IMPACT!

You haven't heard their mission yet. You may want to sit down for this one.

They will make high-quality healthcare accessible to 1 million people by 2030. How? I'll tell you in a bit. But first, what's in a name?

What's in a Name?

GOAL3 is a name with a mission and vision. It has nothing to do with football, but you were close.

The third of the UN SDG goals is to "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This vision is encapsulated in the name "GOAL3", a constant reminder to the team of their ambition and a strong drive towards achieving their goal.

GOAL3's agenda is to bring fairness to the unfair and inequitable access to quality healthcare especially in Africa. With over 4 billion people without access to essential health services, the number of preventable deaths continues to plague Africa, in their millions.

They are driving proactive care in Africa's health facilities through their IMPALA system, an end-to-end clinical support system made in and for low-resource settings. The solution enables early detection, risk stratification, and data-driven decision-making to save lives, time, and cost.

The IMPALA System

A few things immediately glare at you when you walk into a hospital in Africa. Key among them is patients fighting for their lives in a dilapidated setup. What many people are quick to miss, is the caregivers fighting for their patients' lives with the shortest supply possible.

So, how do you deliver high-quality care to a patient in an understaffed hospital with healthcare workers almost collapsing under the heavy workload?

An interesting study on distances covered by ICU nurses during their shifts revealed a shocking reality. The walking distance may reach upwards of 15 km in a 12-hour shift.

Shocked?

Well, during the study 8 nurses were manning one patient and another 9 nurses toggled between two patients. Now imagine a ward with one nurse caring for 10 or more patients. They would have walked a marathon in a week!

The IMPALA system provides a monitor for continuously keeping tabs on patient parameters and a digital app that delivers centralized monitoring. Additional perks integrated into the app enable real-time data analysis and patient stratification to support clinical decision-making.

Read more about GOAL3 here.

I have gathered a few bites from the incredible work GOAL3 is doing in the African HealthTech space.

Lessons from GOAL3

Innovations can be for healthcare workers too, not just patients.

Through empowering caregivers, GOAL3 is creating a ripple effect on patient outcomes. Workflow-aligned solutions make the healthcare worker's job easier freeing them to focus more on delivering better patient care.

Build usability that matches the needs of the user. Innovations are meant to be enablers not sources of frustration for the end user.

Talk Coexistence, not Displacement.

You have heard the perennial discussion of technology replacing the workforce. What if we looked at how caregivers could adopt technology to enhance their services and improve patient outcomes instead of trying to displace them altogether?

If you have ever wondered why Healtech sometimes faces strong pushback, one key reason is that nobody wants to be replaced.

Communicate Value

What's in it for the user? There needs to be a clear line of sight from adoption to benefit from the solution for each stakeholder involved.

Value is not necessarily monetary. Also, different players care differently about the different perks that your solution offers. Being aware and able to articulate these values clearly draws your clients into the sale.

Let's call it a day here;

As GOAL3 expands further into the East African market, we are excited for the coming impact.

We wish them a soft landing in these treacherous markets.

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