Cell-life project set to revolutionise the management of anti-retroviral
treatment
Helen Theron
A collaboration between the University of Cape Town's (UCT's) Departments of
Civil and Electrical Engineering and the Cape Technikon is set to
revolutionise the way AIDS patients manage their anti-retroviral treatment,
a rigid regime often involving the ingestion of up to 20 pills daily, many
of which need to be taken at set times in order to be effective.
The project, called Cell-life, involves the use of cell phones programmed to
record the medications details of AIDS patients. It brings together
technology experts in IT, health and engineering to solve the management
problem of HIV/AIDS. By merging cell phone technology with the Internet and
database systems, a Medication Management System has been developed, one that
provides a "virtual" infrastructure to support HIV positive patients
on anti-retroviral treatment.
Cell phone giant Vodacom has stepped in to provide sponsorship and support
for the project, which will be showcased at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg this week.
A pilot project has just been launched in Gugulethu involving a group of
"therapeutic counsellors" (trained peer counsellors from the community
who
are also taking anti-retrovirals) who carefully record the health status of
the patients in their care, including their adherence to medication
schedules.
These counsellors visit patients several times a week. During the visit cell
phones, which have a wireless Internet gateway (WIG) application, are used to
report on a patient's status. The information is sent via short messaging
service (SMS) to a central database, which can be accessed by the patient's
doctor or nurse. Should an emergency arise, the doctor will be automatically
contacted via SMS and beeper.
The development signals a significant breakthrough in the provision of
anti-retroviral treatment. Much of the focus on anti-retrovirals has centred
on provision costs and toxicity levels. Little has been written about the
sophisticated management involved in providing the therapy.
"Since the HIV virus mutates at a very high rate, the medication is only
successful if taken as part of a complex time-and-diet regime. If the
schedule is not adhered to with 95% compliance, the virus will start
mutating and resistant strains to the specific drug will develop,"
explaines
project leader, Dr Ulrike Rivett from UCT's Department of Civil Engineering.
"To support the patients in this life-long treatment, physical and
psychological support has to be provided. As there are not enough doctors or
nurses trained on the issues of HIV/AIDS, a short-term solution has been
identified in the therapeutic counsellors who are supported by technology,"
she says
Cell-life, which has been pre-patented, brings together technology experts
in IT, health and engineering to solve what is undoubtedly a logistical
nightmare for patients and health professionals. The cell phone solution
also provides a data collection tool to establish drug effectiveness and
response time to side effects, such as lever-toxicity after using
Nevirapine. It is envisaged that cell phones with GPS technology will be
provided to the therapeutic counsellors, an important factor in rural areas.
The idea originated in July 1999. Rivett was giving a talk at the Cape
Technikon's Mother and Daughter Day, explaining why women did not
automatically turn to engineering as a career option. "Women are nurturers
and carers and often turn to those careers where these characteristics will
be fulfilled," she notes. "During question and answer time a young
woman
asked what engineering was doing to prevent the spread HIV/AIDS. I was
floored," she admits.
"I really had no answer. But it got me thinking. I came up with an idea
for
a pillbox that would send signals to a database." Rivett discussed the idea
with many colleagues, from engineering to health sciences. "It was
Professor Jon Tapson from UCT's Electrical Engineering who suggested we use
existing technology to cut costs. Cell phones provided the perfect
solution."
The spin-offs offered by this technology are significant as it can be used
in the wider health arena. "We don't have the resources to build the roads,
hospitals and clinics that engineers devote their energies to, but we can
build a virtual infrastructures, with databases of patients, where one
doctor can advise hundreds of patients all over the country," Rivett
concludes.
Importantly for the Engineering and Built Environment (EBE) Faculty, the
project has also moved the faculty into a "different era", says Rivett.
Many
of the students have been involved developing the systems for the project.
"This is the first time our students have been directly involved in the
fight against HIV/AIDS and where they have been able to see the direct
impact of their work."
Apart from Rivett and Tapson, the team includes Dr Linda-Gail Bekker from
the UCT/Boehringer Ingelheim Lung Institute and UCT alumnus Dr Jevon Davies from
Electrical Engineering at the Cape Technikon.
For further information please contact Dr Ulrike Rivett at 082 940
4349.
ENDS
Shireen Sedres
Manager: Media Liaison
Dept. Communication & Marketing
University of Cape Town
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