Cell-Phone Medicine Brings Care To Patients In Developing Nations

At ten o'clock in the morning, a clinic in Mexico City's Condesa neighborhood is buzzing with activity. It serves some 7,000 patients and is operated by the Mexico City government, making it one of the largest facilities in Latin America devoted to treating patients with HIV/AIDS. One of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health Affairs 2010-02, Vol.29 (2), p.259-263
Main Author: Feder, J. Lester
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Antiretroviral agents
Cellular telephones
Chronic illnesses
Developing countries
Health care delivery
Health care industry
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
LDCs
Technology adoption
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Summary:At ten o'clock in the morning, a clinic in Mexico City's Condesa neighborhood is buzzing with activity. It serves some 7,000 patients and is operated by the Mexico City government, making it one of the largest facilities in Latin America devoted to treating patients with HIV/AIDS. One of the tools they'll get to fight their disease is free antiretroviral drugs provided by the national government. Another tool may be one they already have in their pockets: their cell phones. Sitting at a white plastic table near the pharmacy, an HIV-positive man is recruiting other patients to use a system called VidaNET (LifeNET). It's a cell phone-based system that sends text messages and e-mail to patients, reminding them to take their anti-HIV drugs, keep their doctors' appointments, and stay up to date on their lab tests. VidaNET is run by a partnership between a relatively new non-profit, the Carso Health Institute, and the leading Mexican cellular communications company, Telcel.
ISSN:0278-2715
1544-5208
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2009.1046