Nexleaf Analytics has received a grant from the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation to develop a data platform for medical equipment deployed around the world and help ensure every health facility stands ready to save lives.
In its award letter, the Patrick J. McGovern foundation pledged $650,000 to Nexleaf for “the development of a holistic MIS for connected devices in clinics and hospitals.” The funding will enable Nexleaf to develop the Equipment Management Information System (EqMIS), an interoperable data platform dedicated to this emerging category of public health data.
Designed to address the medical equipment access crisis in health systems laid bare by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the challenges of dealing with donated equipment, EqMIS will help countries operationalize and utilize equipment data, address maintenance gaps, and keep equipment working, improving access to lifesaving care for patients. EqMIS is the technology component of the holistic digital transformation strategy Nexleaf calls the Connected Clinic, which combines software and hardware deployment, health worker skills development, and data-centered process design to improve health outcomes in Low-and-Middle-Income countries (LMICs).
The human impact of non-functional medical equipment has yet to be quantified. However, a Nexleaf analysis of vaccine refrigeration data estimates that 34 million vaccine doses worth $114,000,000 are potentially lost due to faulty equipment each year. Vaccine refrigerators are just one type of equipment, but this example shows how the failure to maintain, repair, and responsively replace deployed medical equipment wastes resources and jeopardizes lives.
Nexleaf is already integrating data from multiple vaccine refrigeration monitoring technology manufacturers into EqMIS. Expanding the platform to include more types of equipment, including infant incubators, diagnostic devices, CPAP machines, and more, builds upon the organization’s experience prototyping a functional real-time medical equipment data dashboard, in partnership with Global Health Labs (GHL).
Real-time medical equipment data is only valuable when it’s accessible and useful to the health workers who make decisions and deal with equipment first-hand. Nexleaf’s team is focused on training an AI-ready health workforce and helping Ministries of Health redesign processes and protocols to put data at the center of everyday equipment decisions.
“Access to working medical equipment is non-negotiable when it comes to saving lives,” said Vilas Dhar, President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. “Nexleaf’s Equipment Management Information System (EqMIS) will transform how health facilities globally rely on medical hardware to deliver clinical outcomes, turning data into actionable steps that directly impact patient care. By equipping health workers with real-time information and empowering them to make data-driven decisions, we ensure that every device is ready to deliver when needed most.”
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) is a philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence and data science solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all. PJMF works in partnership with public, private, and social institutions to drive progress on our most pressing challenges, including digital health, climate change, broad digital access, and data maturity in the social sector.
Learn more about our commitment to building a Culture of Data in health systems, supported by PJMF.