Mashavu’d
Tuesday, May 26
The equatorial sun already beat brightly upon us as we left from our hotel around 9am en route to CYEC. I say around 9am because time here is quite relative. For those who have not experienced a light walk through the Kenyan countryside, I will try to do it justice. The paved roads only last a few steps after we set foot from our hotel. The path we follow is a copper colored road which is half compacted earth, half protruding stone. At first glance, the roads appear to be dusted with cinnamon, but under closer review this is dismissed as a Candyland fantasy (the high clay content of the soil here makes the dust have a similar consistency to the aforementioned spice). As we walk, we pass banana trees, local small businesses and the occasional livestock. Our arrival at CYEC signifies the beginning of a very important day in the development of Mashavu.
Every team’s work was on display this afternoon. Today was the day that the community members the education team reached out to yesterday would get to interact with the system in preparation for our Wednesday trip to Mweiga. But before the show could begin, there was much to be done. Julia and Anthony and Jimmy from the web team headed into downtown Nyeri to get supplies for our journeys in the coming days, run errands and purchase materials for the signage we will be bringing to Mweiga. Sara and Chonda had a follow-up meeting with Margaret Ngure, the former Chief Nursing Director for Kenya. She is truly an invaluable asset to Mashavu. They were able gather an incredible amount of insight from her, for example, choosing the proper operators is vital for the sustainability of Mashavu because if the operators are not trusted and respected in the community then the people will feel the operators have an unfair advantage over them and will not use the system. In essence, the community must choose the operators.
The BioE team had a few loose ends to tie up before we were ready for the afternoon. Grounding issues were nagging the system but they were easily defeated by Katie W. The spirometer and the stethoscope made significant progress and it is now accurate enough to be used in our test. After a few hectic hours in the war room, we would be able to perform five measurements, weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature and lung capacity as well as letting the patients listen to their heartbeat though computer speakers.
After an early lunch, we began setting up the devices and planning the flow of the line. The CYEC students that the education team has been drilling with information since we got here about Mashavu and how the devices work were getting last minute briefings. These students were instrumental in the success of today’s testing especially because of their abilities to speak the native Swahili and Kikuyu languages as well as English. The intense sunlight from the morning was replaced by a chilly overcast sky, which is difficult to believe given we are only miles from the equator. The threat of rain would be a pain to deal with the rest of the day. We had to setup the devices under a breezeway at the centre to ensure they would remain dry. The first patients walked into the open courtyard of the CYEC around 2PM. The first device to be tested was the pulse rate monitor. This is the same pulse rate monitor that once genteelly electrocuted the author of this blog (Due to a grounding issue, I believe). A line began to develop and Mashavu was in full swing. You could feel everyone’s cheeks getting chubbier.
The devices were not the only component of Mashavu on display today. Aaron put the finishing touches on the data formats for the kiosk. The first test of sending manually entered patient data to the website was success and a great step forward. The next step is to take readings directly from the medical devices and send them which I am sure will happen swiftly. The web design team had the first legit test in Labview today as well. Tomorrow will be an important day in the progress of the web design because they will be meeting with local doctors and nurses to test the usability and mold the format of the system. The kiosk and web components are what takes Mashavu beyond a set of medical devices to a telemedicine system.
At the end of the day, 40+ community members had been Mashavued. The weather probably drove a number of the patients we were expecting to have away, but this sample size was more than enough to point out where we need to be smoother tomorrow in Mweiga. All of the devices worked properly throughout the day which is a huge accomplishment for the BioE team. A few problems did arise that we will be needed to be handled carefully tomorrow. After taking a patient’s measurements, they often wanted some form of diagnosis but we are legally and ethically unable to do this. The idea of level zero pre-primary and preventive care is a new concept for many of the patients we will encounter on this trip. It is something that we as Americans overlook everyday (Example. we all have thermometers in our homes). Challenges like this are the most difficult we will face here but I am certain that we are up for that challenge.
Asante,
James Bock
