Patient Data Entry Device v 0.1 for UNICEF

In April 2008 we completed the very first prototype for the Patient Data Input Device for a health clinics in Malawi, Africa in partnership with the UNICEF Innovation Team.

This device aims to help health care workers in diagnosing patients and then efficiently relaying that information to the patient guardians. It allows the user to input child's vital information such as name, weight, height, middle-upper arm circumference, signs of edema and child's complications in order to receive a prompt preliminary diagnosis of the child's general health status and malnutrition level. The device uses both auditory and written prompts to guide the health care workers through the diagnosis questionnaire, through the registration process for a new patient and a check-up on a previously registered patient. The final spoken diagnosis are translated into local language, so that the guardians can leave the clinic with valuable information and a general understanding about the health status of their child and the necessary care suggestions. The data is stored locally onto SD card and it can be uploaded onto a server through text messages via a GSM/GPRS module. For videos of the device in action, please

The patient data entry device off.

The first prototype is build from sustainable MDF and contains a 4x4 keypad, 16/2 LCD, Arduino, MP3 player module, amplified speaker and is powered from a 9v rechargeable battery.

All the technology is open-source and much of the programming had to do with creating a multi-tap keyboard interface and then programming the data work flow tree of about 30 different questions and 5 different "diagnosis".

Device being tested.

The inside of one of the first prototypes.