In May 2021, our HeartTrack Innovation concept won an award at the Makueni Innovation Challenge. Out of 92 concepts that entered the challenge, HeartTrack was judged to be the 3rd overall best idea.

Apart from the certificates and the monetary awards that were awarded to the top concepts, our team, represented by David Kitavi and myself learned new ways of making the concept even better.

HeartTrack is an innovative, intelligent and integrated hypertensive patient management system. In particular, the system remotely tracks and communicates patient’s vital indicators and intuitively transfers this information to a centralized server that is accessed by doctors in real time. The information is then used by doctors and other specialists to perform remote and near-real time diagnosis and mitigation.

The patient is therefore able to live their lives unhindered by the worries of their hypertensive condition. The system is also integrated with an interactive web-based map where the patient continuously has access to nearly medical facilities and other specialists, and can communicate with their doctor should notice changes in their condition.

Another interesting aspect of the system is the machine learning module that relies on the pooled data to detect changes in patient behaviors and to predict potential hazardous conditions that may play a role in aggravating the hypertensive conditions.

With the lessons and the successes from the Makueni Innovation Challenge, we are currently improving the prototype and testing various components to ensure that we have a seamless system as soon as is practicable. Our vision is to have a system that will not only improve the wellbeing of hypertensive patients but will also provide an avenue for learning and evidence-base policies on hypertension management.