This is Part II of a three part series featuring Josh Nesbit, Co-Founder of FrontlineSMS Medic.

Thank you Josh for taking the time to meet for this video interview.

In this interview, Josh talks about the business model that sustains FrontlineSMS: Medic and explains the difference between his organization FrontlineSMS: Media and the umbrella platform developed by Ken Banks, FrontlineSMS. We also learn about another member of the FrontlineSMS family, FrontlineSMS: Credit, which uses mobile phones to support microfinance.

FrontlineSMS: Medic is a mobile phone platform that helps rural community workers in developing countries to access health information via SMS text message. The service has been deployed in ten countries, and saves community health workers’ time, enabling them to treat more patients and save countless lives. In Malawi alone, FrontlineSMS Medic has saved clinics $US 3,000 in fuel, 2,100 hours of travel time, allowing clinicians to identify and treat two times the number of patients infected with TB. Check out the video to learn more about FrontlineSMS Medic, its business model, and impact around the globe.

The Full Transcript

For Part I of this three part interview series, please check out: How Mobile SMS Saves Lives in Africa | Josh Nesbit, Co-Founder FrontlineSMS: Medic

Katrina: So here I am with Josh of FrontlineSMS Medic. [How has your organization evolved since the SMS platform was first rolled out and community health workers began using the platform in rural Malawi, Africa?]

Josh: What’s happened since then is that organizations like Partners in Health, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative have grabbed hold of particular use cases that they’re most interested in. For example, in Nano, Malawi we work with Partners in Health to implement an SMS program focusing on follow-up for HIV to make sure that people who start treatment, stay in treatment. And that’s something like 40 text messages every couple of days.

So, once you have that laptop in place, the GSM modem set-up, and some local training, the costs are really minimal.

Katrina: Fantastic. And can you share, what is the difference between Frontline SMS: Medic and the umbrella platform, FrontlineSMS, developed by Ken Banks? How do you differ? You have similar names and you’re using the platform, so how are you different?

Josh: Ken and I work very closely together, and I am actually a FrontlineSMS Ambassador. So, I joined Ken on the core FrontlineSMS team and it’s been really exciting to work with people like him. And to work with people like Ben Lyon, who has created a FrontlineSMS: Credit to repurpose the FrontlineSMS platform to be used by microfinance institutions to link in to mobile money transfer systems.

We’re basically seeing a family of tools and a family of teams develop. And we all share the same DNA. So part of what I get to do is to interact with other people in other verticals – to try to help them to feel empowered to start things up and to build new tools.

Katrina: Can you share, how do you sustain FrontlineSMS: Medic, given that you have an open-source platform?

Josh: Right. So, FrontlineSMS: Medic is a full-fledged non-profit. We are a pure non-profit. So, we’ve turned to grant giving foundations, social innovation groups, and the like, for start-up capital to help us get started, get running.

Katrina: Wonderful. Thank you so much, Josh. Best wishes with FrontlineSMS: Medic. And everyone can find you on the web at …

Josh: HopePhones.org, medic.frontlinesms.com. And we’re all over Twitter, you can find me @joshnesbit. You can find us @smsmedic or @hopephones.

Katrina: Wonderful, thank you so much Josh.

Josh Nesbit | Co-Founder, FrontlineSMS Medic / HopePhones

About: FrontlineSMS Medic advances healthcare networks in under-served communities using innovative, appropriate mobile technologies. HopePhones is a campaign of FrontlineSMS Medic that enables people to recycle old mobile phones to support the work of FrontlineSMS Medic.Website: www.medic.frontlinesms.com

Photos in Video via Creative Commons Flickr thanks to: Ken Banks, kiwanja.net, whiteafrican, and a.drian

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Women Deliver 2010, a global conference on maternal health, takes place in Washington DC this week, June 7-9, 2010. The theme of the conference is: “Delivering solutions for girls and women”, with a focus on political, economic, social/cultural, and technological solutions. To join the conference via live webcast, check out http://livestream.com/womendeliver or visit envisionGood where we will be featuring the live webcast.

What Is The Mission Of Women Deliver?

Launched at a groundbreaking conference in 2007, Women Deliver works globally to generate political commitment and financial investment for fulfilling Millennium Development Goal #5 — to reduce maternal mortality and achieve universal access to reproductive health. The initiative builds on commitments, partnerships, and networks mobilized at the conference, fighting to end the deluge of preventable deaths that kill between 350,000 – 500,000 girls and women from pregnancy-related causes every year. Women Deliver’s message is that maternal health is both a human right and a practical necessity for sustainable development.

Women Deliver 2010 builds on the success of the Women Deliver 2007 conference during which over 2,000 participants from 115 countries gathered to engage in discussions focused on Women’s and Newborn Health, Promoting Women in the World, Expanding Financial Resources, Advancing Human Rights, and Building Political Will. Participants in 2007 included more than 100 government officials from more than 30 countries. To follow Women Deliver 2010 conversations on Twitter, check out @womendeliver and #wd2010.

In this week’s interview, Josh Nesbit, Co-Founder of FrontlineSMS Medic, shares the behind-the-scenes story that inspired him to start FrontlineSMS Medic, an international organization that uses mobile technology to connect health workers in rural communities in developing countries.

The service, now deployed in ten countries, saves community health workers’ time which allows them to treat more patients, saving countless lives. In Malawi alone, FrontlineSMS Medic has saved clinics $US 3,000 in fuel, 2,100 hours of travel time, allowing clinicians to identify and treat two times the number of patients infected with TB. Check out the video to learn more about FrontlineSMS Medic, its business model, and impact around the globe.

Thank you Josh for taking the time to meet for this video interview.

The Full Transcript

Katrina: So here I am with Josh of FrontlineSMS Medic. First of all, thank you so much for joining, and can you share, what is Frontline?

Josh: Sure. So FrontlineSMS is a free and open-source platform that enables large-scale two-way communication using only a laptop, a GSM modem, and a phone and a GSM signal. So you don’t need the internet. It was created by Ken Banks to allow any organization anywhere to get an SMS hub up and running.

I met Ken a while back. I was a student at Stanford and it made a lot of sense to apply that software to rural health care. We had a very successful pilot in Malawi and it became clear that there was demand for these tools and that it needed to be rolled out.

So we co-founded this non-profit, FrontlineSMS Medic. Our core competency is really in connecting remote community health workers and remote staff to central clinics. But we also do disease surveillance and most recently we were involved with emergency response efforts in Haiti.

Katrina: Fantastic. How did you get FrontlineSMS Medic off-the-ground? You mentioned you were in Malawi. Can you share a little bit more about that story?

Josh: Sure. So I was sure I wanted to get my medical degree. I was gung-ho on the pre-med track, and shipped off to Malawi to this rural hospital and worked in an HIV clinic, and more than anything, had conversations with clinicians and community health workers (CHWs) and these CHWs were walking thirty, sixty miles to deliver messages on patient statuses. And I had better cell reception in rural Malawi than I did in Washington, DC or San Francisco. It was clear that we could harness this expansion of the GSM networks to help coordinate care.

We basically applied for a very small public service grant, enough to get a hundred phones, a laptop, and a plane ticket back to the clinic, and basically turned the tools over.

Katrina: Had you used the FrontlineSMS platform previously before this trip?

Josh: No, FrontlineSMS was brand new to me and was brand new to the home care-based nurse at that clinic. Alex had never used a computer in his life. And after three hours of hashing around on Frontline he was off and running himself. So that’s a huge testament to Ken’s software.

Katrina: That is amazing. So, it sounds like it’s pretty easy to implement – if you only need three hours of experience without and computer background.

Josh: With these initiatives, local ownership really is key. So the level of tech support needed has a direct impact on the success of a project long-term, and also locally on the ability of people to innovate.

Katrina: Did you find that there were any glitches or challenges along the way when it came to implementing this in the field?

Josh: There were a lot of challenges. And the challenges really, it’s not the technology that’s the challenge, but making sure that the process is right. I think that once the word is out about these tools, lots of people rush to choose a product or a tool, or even choose a technology, and then try to implement it.

We found the most success when you start with the need and the requirements from people who actually know them. And then toss it over to us at that point to ask questions about cost and feasibility.

Katrina: When you’re having these conversations and talking about what the community needs, do you then customize the platform to fit those needs?

Josh: There’s an intense customization about the programs and the actual implementation design. At the same time, I think you mentioned implementation strategies. And really, what we’re seeing is that there are two paths to scale. I mean, there are multiple paths, but the two we think we have the best shot at are sort of a horizontal path and a vertical path: horizontal being what we’re calling community projects where we have a downloadable field guide for a particular use case that communities and clinics and one-off implementations that can take those materials and get going themselves. But then there are also team projects where our core staff are involved and we’re working with massive NGOs that have massive networks and want to implement at scale with resources from the U.S. government and others. So that’s sort of a two-part strategy.

Katrina: It’s incredible to hear that you made the transition from pre-med student to engineer and entrepreneur, how did that happen?

Josh: Well, I’m not an engineer and I’ll be the first one to say that. I’m very much a softie with techie friends. The tech isn’t that complicated, right? And I don’t know or not if we’re technically digital natives, but we grew up texting and we grew up using wi-fi.

Katrina: I was recently in South Africa and Swaziland, and a lot of people were using Facebook on their phones. How do you see people using social networks, social media, and mobile phones together in places like Africa and other developing countries?

Josh: Facebook has told us one thing: it’s that when the web is available it will be used for social networking. Period. And I think that once the mobile web hits, wherever it hits people will be using it for social networking.

There’s sort of a strange tension for us because there are different groups of people who meet, right? You have NGOs and implementers, clinicians, and people who want tools that work today and tomorrow and they want to get it out there and they want to help serve people better.

And then you have technologists who meet and want to talk about what will be available in how we can plan for the tools that will be available in five years. And I shuttle between those two groups. And there’s a disconnect of sorts. And so we’re trying to straddle that and we’re trying to make sure we’re implementing what works right now with existing infrastructure and that means SMS. And that is the lowest common denominator right now.

Katrina: What has been the impact of the implementation to-date with FrontlineSMS Medic? How many people have you served? How much does it cost?

Josh: We’re working in ten countries mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, but also in India, Bangladesh, Honduras, and most recently, Haiti. We started off in Malawi, and the best impact analysis has been done in that first clinic in Malawi. It’s costing the clinic about $US 300 for six months. And, we’re not talking about the start-up costs or my flight to Malawi. We’re talking about the operational cost that the hospital is absorbing. And that’s the number of cents per text message. We saw some really exciting outcomes. For the first time ever they were collecting ARV/HIV and TB drug adherence records. And they were collecting symptoms, and there was a really exciting case finding mechanism that was put in place where CHWs (community health workers) could text in that a community member was having a chronic cough. The TB officer would go out and take a sample, get back to the clinic, and run it, and if they needed to be started on meds, the officer would send a follow-up text message. And they actually doubled the number of patients in their TB program in six months with that very simple feedback loop. So really it was about connecting people.

They were able to do simple things like shift their HIV and TB and home-based care follow-ups to SMS. And that saved them roughly $US 3,000 in fuel, around 2,100 hours in travel and work time in about six months. So, it’s a realization that we’re building tools rather than solutions has been something that I think has resonated well with our clinical partners. The idea that once you parit these tools with end users, then it becomes a solution – when people are actually using these tools out in the field in the way that they want.

Katrina: Wonderful, thank you so much Josh. And best wishes with HopePhones and FrontlineSMS Medic, and everyone can find you on the web at?

Josh: HopePhones.org, medic.frontlinesms.com. And we’re all over Twitter, you can find me @joshnesbit. You can find us @smsmedic or @hopephones.

Katrina: Wonderful, thank you so much Josh.

Stay tuned for Part II next week in which Josh explains the difference between FrontlineSMS, the platform developed by Ken Banks, and FrontlineSMS Medic, a spin-off of the umbrella Frontline platform. Also, learn about other niches being served by Frontline, including Frontline: Credit for microfinance.

Josh Nesbit | Co-Founder, FrontlineSMS Medic / HopePhones

About: FrontlineSMS Medic advances healthcare networks in under-served communities using innovative, appropriate mobile technologies. HopePhones is a campaign of FrontlineSMS Medic that enables people to recycle old mobile phones to support the work of FrontlineSMS Medic.Website: www.medic.frontlinesms.com

Photos in Video via Creative Commons Flickr thanks to: Ken Banks, kiwanja.net, whiteafrican, and a.drian

Tapping into the power of social networks and social media to reach millions online worldwide, MASSIVEGOOD launched today with the goal to raise awareness and funds to support UNITAID’s life-saving efforts to fight malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.

Created via a private-public partnership between leaders in the travel and tourism industry and the Millennium Foundation, MASSIVEGOOD is a global platform that gives travelers in the United States an opportunity to donate $US 2 dollars when purchasing a travel product such as a flight, car rental, or hotel booking. Following the launch in the United States, the Millennium Foundation reports it will also be launching MASSIVEGOOD later this year in UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain. With over 700 million flights purchased each year by travelers worldwide, the potential to raise awareness and funds for global health is significant.

UNITAID, an organization created in 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly to provide additional funding to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, is the beneficiary of funds raised through MASSIVEGOOD. Currently supporting 3 out of 4 children on AIDS treatments globally, UNITAID has committed over $US 200 million dollars to treating people with tuberculosis as well. When every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria, every 15 seconds a person dies from tuberculosis, and every 13 seconds a person dies from HIV/AIDS, the need is urgent for funds to address these global diseases.

MASSIVEGOOD makes it easy for millions of travelers around the globe to make a micro-donation of $US 2 to help treat people who suffer from malaria, tb, and HIV/AIDS.

It will be interesting to see going forward how other professional sectors and public organizations find creative ways to form partnerships and leverage the power of social media and social networks to address pressing global issues of our day. Do you know of other examples of public-private partnerships that aim to solve global issues? Please let us know by leaving a comment below, thanks.

Travel: MASSIVEGOOD

About: MASSIVEGOOD is a global platform that gives travelers in the United States an opportunity to donate $US 2 dollars when purchasing a travel product such as a flight, car rental, or hotel booking. Website: www.massivegood.com

We met up with Elizabeth Scharpf, Founder of Sustainable Health Enterprises [SHE], at Africa Social Enterprise Forum in NYC this past week. Hear what Elizabeth has to say about the promise of social enterprise for development in Africa. Ever thought about starting a business you are passionate about, but are concerned about taking the leap of faith? Elizabeth shares insights on entrepreneurship, suggesting that “[starting a business you are passionate about] is the least risky thing you could ever do.” Watch this video and find out why. Thanks Elizabeth!

Elizabeth Scharpf, Founder of Sustainable Health Enterprises [SHE]

About: Sustainable Health Enterprises improves the quality of life for people in resource-poor settings, using market-based business solutions that work. Website: www.SHEinnovates.com

How is mobile being used in emerging markets to improve the lives of people living on less than $2/day? In what innovative ways are health providers using mobile phones to diagnose diseases like malaria, HIV, & TB? What is m-Health Alliance and how are UN Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation working together to develop mobile solutions for the developing world?

Alison Bloch, m-Health Advisor at GSM Association and m-Health Alliance steering committee member, met up with Katrina of envisionGood.tv at a local cafe in San Francisco, Ca. to share insights to these questions & more.

Hear what Alison has to say and learn about the topic of her panel at the upcoming Social Capital Markets (SOCAP09) conference in SF, Sept 1 – 3. Thanks for watching! Please susbscribe, comment, and rate this vid: thanks : )

Alison Bloch, m-Health Advisor at GSM Association

About: The GSMA Development Fund works with mobile operators to accelerate mobile solutions for people living on less than USD $2/day. Website: www.GSMworld.com