Following the successful implementation of its Data Access Intervention Initiative (DAII), the Institute of Information Management (IIM-Africa) has scored another goal by launching MedicPurse, a health information system developed to capture health information and intelligence in monitoring and managing the health of individuals for the ultimate improvement of public health in partnership with Globe Geosolution Private Limited.

Globe Geosolution Private Limited is an Indian company which is working in the field of Geospatial, Geoscience, Energy, IT, Urban Planning, Infrastructure Design, Artificial Intelligence System, Earthquake Study and Training & Education Development.

Speaking at the Institute’s annual public lecture/investiture 2015, Dr. Oyedokun Oyewole, president and chairman of IIM-Africa Governing Council, said that DAII was conceived as an intervention initiative by IIM which seeks to promote access to information for effective service delivery in the society.

According to Oyewale, individuals and organisations should have access to information as at when needed.

“This initiative is expected to create a common platform for participation of individual and various organizations providing different services to the Citizens in various sectors of the economy like health, education, etc which will enable citizens to access their own data to create a personal profile that they can use or maintain with them as long as they are alive,” he said.

DAII, he added, is ultimately expected to facilitate an industry movement to connect Citizens to various services like healthcare, education etc with their data under the IIM data access Intervention initiative.

On why they developed the MedicPurse application, President and Chairman of IIM-Africa Governing Council, said “It is common knowledge that the health sector in Nigeria is faced with several challenges ranging from lack of adequate training for health workers, lack of data processing facilities, lack of access to patients records due to poor health records management, and lack of resources by health facilities to deploy health information management systems and technologies.

“Planning, monitoring and evaluation of health services are hampered by the paucity of reliable data and health services therefore cannot be managed efficiently on the basis of available data”.

MedicPurse, as a health information system comprises of features developed to capture health information and intelligence that is used to monitor and manage the health of individuals registered on the system for the ultimate improvement of public health.

The application allows users to be in control of their healthcare and that of the family.

“Being able to access your health records in an emergency situation can be lifesaving and you can also plug your health information into mobile apps and other health tools. This can help you to stay in control of your health and that of your family.  It’s your health record and it’s about you so you should have it readily accessible when you need it! MedicPurse offers physicians and other health service providers an easy way to interface,” Dr. Oyewale said.

According to him MedicPurse is capable of verifying the user’s personal information to ensure it is correct, current and complete; enables them have medical history available should they be changing doctors or visiting a specialist; manage important health information like vaccination records, medications and test results and share their information with trusted parties/partners such as family doctor, specialists, and caregivers.

“With MedicPurse you can locate specific information concerning your health and healthcare when you need it, for example in an emergency situation or when you are travelling out of town away from your usual healthcare providers. Also, in a single view, patients can review their health records from all of their providers; family members can manage the health records of their loved ones from any distance and at any time and patients have full and convenient access to their records through MedicPurse and can update them at will; no more waiting for an office to open. Patients have full access to their records 24/7 and from any location that has Internet access and patients’ health information is automatically updated when physicians update their EHRs.

To maintain data safety and privacy, Oyewale said MedicPurse is based on the framework of data security, privacy protection and ultimately patient empowerment.

“MedicPurse puts the information others hold about you in your hands. You decide how to use it. Using MedicPurse does not give anyone else access to your health records unless you choose to share it. Healthcare providers, such as doctors and hospitals, will be accountable for the privacy and security of patients’ health records in their care after being trained and certified by the Institute of Information Management.

“To use MedicPurse, healthcare providers will be required to set up physical, administrative and technical safeguards to protect patients’ health records. This may include “access controls” like passwords and PIN numbers to help limit who has access to patients’ health records; “encryption” so your health information can’t be read or understood except by someone who is approved to view it; and an “audit trail” so there is a record of who has looked at your information and what changes were made to it and when,” he added.

Globe Geosolution Private Limited is represented as a customized solution provider in Geo related Industry along with their other technical consultancy works.

Globe Geosolution offers complete solutions & services in their expertise in highly quality controlled and Professional manner, where every client feels on the pinnacle precedence. Globe Geosolution is founded with sun-up of the new millennium.

The firm is started with vision to provide an integrated Geospatial, Geosciences and IT solutions for all at affordable charges without compromising on the quality.