Managing chronic conditions through hosted medical records in Kenya

Abstract

Complex medical conditions are rising in developing countries at very alarming rates. E.g. projections from the World Health Organization’s global burden of disease and risk factors report chronic diseases are responsible for up to 50% of disease burden in selected countries. Diseases hitherto associated with the developed countries like diabetes, cancer and Hypertension are in the increase in developing countries. Management of these medical conditions calls for a new way of delivering health care services in these countries. Long term therapeutic management of these diseases requires availability of medical records to a provider when a patient presents him/herself at a medical facility. Advances in technology present opportunities for informing systematic management of these chronic conditions within constraints of resources that these countries face.