MEDSCAN: Mobile Enabled Diagnostics for Schistosomiasis Control Analytics

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PROJECT SUMMARY Schistosomiasis is endemic in 54 countries and infects nearly 240 million people worldwide per year. Sub- Saharan Africa endures a disproportionate burden, accounting for over 90% of infections. In Kenya, the site of our study, 17 million out of the nation’s 50 million citizens are at risk for schistosomiasis infection. Of the at-risk population, school-aged children represent the primary risk group, and the many morbidities of infection are amplified over a child’s lifespan. After decades of mass drug administration, it is clear that more aggressive and targeted interventions are necessary to move towards the elimination of schistosomiasis. Unfortunately, this recognition has not yet resulted in the development of the tools that public health officials need to make this transition. To address this unmet need, we propose the development of the MEDSCAN (mobile enabled diagnostics for schistosomiasis control analytics) platform to improve schistosomiasis surveillance efforts. This software package builds off of the successful history that we have had in the development of image-processing algorithms for diagnostic purposes. MEDSCAN will consist of a mobile application that can analyze point-of-care diagnostic tests and a web-based administrator dashboard for viewing real-time operational performance metrics and other advanced analytics. We have assembled an interdisciplinary consortium that consists of mobile health software and global health expertise at Vanderbilt University, a world-leader in schistosomiasis diagnostics from Leiden University Medical Center, and a successful history of neglected tropical disease program management and field research at the Kenya Medical Research Institute. To meet our shared goals, our specific aims will: 1) evaluate the cellular network in Western Kenya in preparation for mobile health research, and develop the mobile and web platforms; 2) perform a usability analysis on the platform and make iterative refinements; 3) complete a thorough laboratory evaluation of the MEDSCAN application and a single-site pilot systems check; 4) use the MEDSCAN platform in a 10-month, observational surveillance study. By transforming the already widely utilized point-of-care test into a “connected” diagnostic, MEDSCAN can serve as the gateway to high-resolution surveillance that is necessary to shift efforts from control to elimination.