NEWS

FACES Expands Program Using Qualcomm Technology

FACES relies on Internet connectivity and 3G technology to stay connected with medically isolated patients. The FACES surgical and speech team is excited to expand their program and reach using wireless technology in new ways.

Connectivity is at the core of the FACES model – whether that be virtual connection over the Internet or face-to-face connection in a health clinic. FACES is expanding the speech and surgical programs, and other health improvement projects, using Qualcomm's connective technology. Qualcomm, a leader in next generation mobile technologies, has worked with the FACES team for the past few years to harness the immense power of connectivity for indigent, medically isolated patients in Peru to gain access to high-quality, specialized healthcare treatment.

On the recent FACES pre-surgical trip to Peru, the team traveled to a small village of 100 families in the Amazonas Region called San Antonio. Thanks to the strong partnership between FACES, Cafe Femenino, Green Empowerment and San Antonio community members, each and every home in the village now has running, potable water in their homes, as well as a new latrine. Qualcomm connectivity was essential in helping with the completion of the clean water project. Wireless connectivity was used to assist with coordinating FACES input (medical and health training) with local health promoters.

On the same trip, Dr. Thomas Albert and Dr. Jerome List screened over 50 patients to assess their need for surgery in January 2012, when a team of 22 medical personnel will travel back to Peru. 3G connectivity was essential in helping to gather the 50+ potential surgical candidates from remote regions in northern Peru. The FACES team uses this 3G connectivity to find patients, as well as stay connected with them before and after surgery. Connectivity is the basis for the FACES Speech Program in which highly-trained bilingual speech therapists connect with cleft lip and palate patients after surgery to coach them on how to speak clearly and be able to communicate.

The FACES Speech Program uses the small town of Lambayeque as a base and the geographical reach is quickly expanding as 3G coverages expands to more remote regions of the country. For example, during the visit to San Antonio to assess the water project, Dr. Albert screened an additional five patients who needed treatment, several of whom require speech therapy. In the coming months, the FACES team will work on connecting with these patients over video-enabled devices to perform speech therapy. San Antonio, as well as several other isolated villages in the area, have recently had Internet connectivity made available to them from other sources, which FACES will be utilizing to expand their reach.

FACES strives to use technology in new ways to benefit underserved and medically isolated populations. During the November/December screening trip to northern Peru, the team noticed that almost every family who came into the clinic had their own cell phone. The fact that so many people own cell phones, even in rural villages where there is little access to electricity, is an exciting one for FACES. This means that connecting with people over 3G cell phone technology to conduct speech therapy and stay connected for medical follow-up will become easier and possible to work with and treat people who live in extremely remote areas. Below are photos of some of the patients and families who came to the FACES clinics with cell phones in hand.

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