To ensure every woman get access to the quickest and the best diagnostic care
Main beneficiary country:Nigeria
SonoCare
SonoCare is a health-tech startup leveraging technology and innovation in delivering conveniently accessible and low-cost life-saving diagnostic care interventions at point of care that can help detect pregnancy complications before they become threats to the life of women through a portable framework that uses a mobile app (for ease of access, real-time/round-the-clock access to patient diagnostic records and collaboration), portable equipment and vehicles in partnership with public and private healthcare providers, aid agencies, faith-based organisations and NGOs to ensure every woman (especially the under-served women in low income and low resource areas) get access to the quickest and the best diagnostic care.
Sector: Industrial: Startups, enterprises, etc.
Country of origin: Nigeria
Healthcare themes targeted
Stage of development:
Area where initiative is utilised
Initiative start date
Financing method
Economic model(s)
When there is absence or shortage of diagnostic care services like sonograms, malaria tests, or HIV tests, pregnancies continue to be lost to undetected complications like placenta previa, nuchal cords, and breeched pregnancies that should not have been delivered through normal vaginal births among others. Women lack access to diagnostic care services that are conveniently accessible and affordable for them which is why majority of the middle and low-income women never get to know they have high risk pregnancies until it probably becomes too late. When compared with other booking investigations, 60.1% (125/208), mainly civil servants, expressed the views that ultrasound in pregnancy is costly, while 24.4% (59/208) felt it is cheap, 9.1% (19/208) said it is very costly, while the remaining 2.4% (5/208) thought it is not affordable.
Healthcare providers mostly refer patients to external office-based solutions providers who are often located in the urban cities and difficult to reach hence requiring these women to travel long distances to have their diagnostic imaging needs satisfied leading to marginal expenses and significant inconvenience. These external solutions providers are often expensive and coupled with the additional costs in transportation and other marginal costs, women are unable to afford their services. A woman spends an average of $34 to get a sonogram (sonogram, transportation and marginal costs included).
SonoCare adds value to other available solutions through the following features: comprehensive screening (in addition to sonograms, other related disease including gestational hypertension, malaria and HIV, and diabetes can be done); effective follow-up care, leverage mobile technology that works in rural as well as urban settings; easy to use, portable, and quick to train for scale-up and established network of partners for streamlined referrals and follow-up.
SonoCare brings mobile diagnostic care services closer to those women who need them most through a portable and mobile platform that delivers the service directly at points of need using mobile application ( for ease of access, data transmission and enhanced service delivery and inter-disciplinary collaboration), portable equipment, and vehicles.
SonoCare’s mobile/web application is accessible to both patients and partners and provides for ease of access to SonoCare’s services and features:
SonoCare mobile units drive to the premises of partners with our mobile teams (comprising of a sonologist/technician, nurse assistant, field assistant, and a driver) to deliver the service to their patient base on-site (on pre-arranged schedules), on-demand services in emergencies and individualized services in patients’ homes.
SonoCare operates a B2B2C model (selling to businesses and directly to individuals) and generates revenue through service fees and in-app subscriptions. While SonoCare primarily serves women, it maximizes the utility of its diagnostic imaging and exam services by also serving other patients with a variety of needs. It also provides training services to intending sonologists/technicians and healthcare facilities.
SonoCare is part of the supports through which pregnant women can access quality coordinated care towards better health outcomes. SonoCare refers high-risk cases requiring more complex interventions to partners to administer these services. Our services enhance these outcomes:
Telemedicine (remote diagnosis and consultations) - Patient monitoring and medical data
27980 Number of beneficiaries since launch
720 Number of users per Month
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Health: Healthcare professionals and structures
Organizational: Communities, public authorities, NGOs, associations, foundations, etc.
Health: Healthcare professionals and structures
Health: Healthcare professionals and structures
eHEALTH APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN
How does one compete for the Observatory Awards ?
The project sponsors can apply to compete for the Observatory Awards: http://www.odess.io/suggest-an-initiative.html
An expert panel will study the submitted projects and winners will be invited to the 2020 Conference, at the Fondation Pierre Fabre’s headquarters (Lavaur, France), to accept their prize.
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