Health

  This page is part of the OLPC Health Project. Hardware | Software | Content | Health Jam

Introduction

Welcome to the OLPC Health Portal. To understand what we're doing and why we're here please read our Vision Statement.

We are an interdisciplinary group working on medical-related projects associated with the XO, including software, hardware, and content. Health projects can be a local grassroots undertaking, a student group project, a pilot implementation, a global community creation-sprint weekend - we cut across geographic, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries to help all health-related OLPC work move forward.

We hope you'll join us.

Community

We're always interested in hearing from, talking with, and collaborating with others with similar interests. No particular experience is required - just a passion for OLPC and the medical field and a willingness to learn. We're all constantly learning from and teaching each other.

If you are interested in what we are doing, most of our discussions take place on the Library mailing list, and the best way to join the conversation is to join the list and introduce yourself. You may also add yourself to the /People list if you want to help out.

For chat via IRC you can find us at #olpc-health on freenode. (what is IRC?)

Health Projects

The Health projects take three major forms; Content, Software and Hardware along with some other organizational and meta-projects.

Health Content

We are working to create a comprehensive set of health modules that are localized to each of the target countries. Over the next several months we will be working to find partners to donate content appropriate for the laptop. We will use that content as a starting point, localizing and extending it to meet the needs of the children in the target countries. For more information on our primary project, see the Health Content.

Health Software

We are working software projects geared specifically towards Health on the XO, and are adapting existing applications as well. For example Measure is one example of an existing Activity being adapted for Health use. By plugging in sensors like an EKG to the XO's audio-in port, vital signs can be measured.

Health Hardware

There are currently several groups working on Health sensors for the XO. Some are a simple as a temperature gauge that can be plugged into the audio-in port and used with Measure. But the eventual goal of Health Hardware is a $10USD USB device that can act as a full TeleHealth remote sensor package for pulse, temperature, blood oximeter, and many other simple sensors. Along with existing components such as the built in webcam on the XO this will allow doctors to diagnose patients from hundreds of miles away.

Contacts

Health/People

Health Sub-Teams

The health projects involved in OLPC exist in three forms: hardware/software/content. Each builds on the other.

If you have particular talent in either of the three areas we would love your help and/or advice.

Health Translations

Health projects are always looking for translators. Check out the projects above to find one you are interested in contributing to.

Health Project Implementation

Test-cases, proof-of-concept, trial projects, etc...

Health Training

Once several Health projects are mature, volunteers will be needed to test and deploy them in the field and train others in their use.

See Impending Ergonomic Disaster ? for some training that should be included for XO users and their teachers.

Help wanted

When you post a Help Wanted item, please post a contact person whom interested people can get in touch with, along with an expiration date so we can remove outdated postings.

Public health workers

We are looking for people who have public health experience in a target country (Libya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, or Thailand) to please insert what help you are looking for here, along with contact information.

Linguists needed

We are looking for people who speak a language from a target country (Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Arabic, Kinyarwanda, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Thai). please insert what help you are looking for here, along with contact information.

Electrical engineering mentor

The IMSA chapter is looking for electrical engineers, preferably in the Chicago area or willing to mentor long-distance, to help review sensor-input peripheral designs by students. Contact Scott Swanson. Expires May 1, 2008.

Open tasks

• Create a health OBX for interested participants to mark themselves with (should add people to a "Health People" category, or similar
• Clean up the Health Reference Library page.
• Find Health-related projects elsewhere on this wiki and link them to this page.
• Find Health Organizations that might be interested in getting involved or using the XO-Health projects for the wiki.
• Write documentation and proposal information for Health Organizations.

A note about OLPC and Health projects

OLPC is committed in its efforts to providing children in developing countries with a low cost, connected laptop. The laptop is a tool for learning, sharing and expression; however, the presence of a low-cost rugged and connected device such as the laptop goes on to benefit the communities (kids and their families) in ways more than just one. One of these aspects is improving health and living practices of people.

There has been a lot of interest from volunteers and organizations to develop applications and tools around the XO laptop that would help the recipients of the laptop and their families adopt healthy living practices. These initiatives have largely centered around development of software and content which serves to act as a source of reference for symptoms, diseases and preventive practices and healthy living. There have also been certain efforts in the development of tele-health peripheral modules.

While OLPC is not currently in a position where it could fund these projects, it can endorse the efforts and partner in grant applications. Also, OLPC will also do its best in providing communication channels (mailing lists, conference calls, project hosting etc.) that facilitate these projects. --Arjs 11:27, 1 February 2008 (EST)