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UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER, 2015
HEALTH
Each year in Trinidad and Tobago
there are approximately
20,000 pregnancies. Of these pregnancies there are 1,000 cases
of pre-gestational diabetes and perhaps as much as three times
as many gestational cases are to be expected.
Diabetes and its associated complications are at epidemic
proportions in Trinidad and Tobago. Women are at greater risk
and often declare this risk for the first time during pregnancy.
As pregnancy advances blood sugar can rise progressively into
the diabetic range. Following delivery, diabetes often subsides
only to return in subsequent pregnancies or as full blown
diabetes in later life. Diabetes can of course also precede a
pregnancy. Whether diabetes precedes a pregnancy or develops
during the course of a pregnancy, there is serious risk to both
mother and fetus.
When diabetes goes undetected during pregnancy,
particularly during the first few months of pregnancy, the risk
for fetal abnormalities is increased and maternal mortality
rates are also significantly higher. There is compelling evidence
that early detection and treatment of diabetes in pregnancy
improves outcomes for both mother and baby; and most
studies show that universal screening (screening of all pregnant
women) doubles the detection rate.
The Helen Bhagwansingh Diabetes Education, Research
and Prevention Institute (DERPI) at The UWI has begun a
national screening and treatment programme for diabetes in
pregnancy. This programme initially focused on the predictors
of diabetes in the womb and the reduction of it. To support
the programme, we developed an ICT application – HiPTT
(Hyperglycemia in Pregnancy in Trinidad and Tobago).
As the project evolved the HiPTT Team understood
that while the problem is health related the issue is social,
and the name Health in Pregnancy in Trinidad and Tobago
was adopted. A HiPTT Social component of the study began.
HiPTT Social will build a website and social media pages linked
to the HiPTT app to provide important information on health
in pregnancy to the wider public.
The HiPTT application will replace a very basic traditional
process of largely reactive health care with a localized, human-
Dr. Kim Mallalieu, Leader - Communications Systems Group, at
the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at The UWI
St. Augustine, was integral to the project to develop the HiPTT ICT
application.
PHOTOS: ALVA VIARRUEL
DIABETES
and your
BABY
New app keeps mother, foetus and doctors connected
B Y F A L L O N L U T C H M A N S I N G H
Fallon K. Lutchmansingh is the Research Coordinator for DERPi
centric, technology solution. It will stimulate improved
patient self-management, enable personal empowerment and
ultimately, yield improved medical outcomes and reduced
burden on the public health care system. The ICT HiPTT
application is being jointly developed and tested by the HiPTT
teamof lecturers from theUWI Department of Clinical Medical
Sciences and Faculty of Engineering, members of DERPI and
the CARIRI CED with support from Microsoft.
HiPTT is a software product that will facilitate, for the first
time in Trinidad and Tobago, a systemof data logging, analysis,
visualization, archiving and communications necessary to
provide efficient support to pregnant women. HiPTT is a
cloud-based solution, intended for use by both public and
private medical institutions. At the heart of HiPTT is a web
portal which supports the full cycle of data entry, flow and
visualization between patient, doctor andmedical laboratories
for the management of diabetes in pregnancy. The application
allows for the registration of patients and institutions, covering
doctors, administrative staff and medical labs.
Once HiPTT has been successfully adopted into an
institution’s workflow, it will automatically provide interpreted
test results and reports to registered patients. Healthcare
providers will be notified of any abnormal results and can
reviewand provide real time feedback to pregnant women about
the blood glucose readings. This feature of providing quick
feedback to patients will significantly improve the detection of
diabetes earlier on during pregnancy, facilitate timely medical
interventions as well as improve self-management abilities.
From the institution’s perspective, medical labs canmore easily
produce electronic as well as hard copy reports with doctors
being able to conveniently review a patient’s medical results
either via a mobile device or desktop computer.
The Health in Pregnancy in Trinidad and Tobago project
is a DERPI initiative with support and funding from the
National Gas Company (NGC), i2i Grant from the Ministry
of Planning and Sustainable Development, the Rotary Club of
St. Augustine, Community Chest and 2001 Carpet World with
technical support from Microsoft and CARIRI.
Teels Ramlochan, one of the patients taking part in the pilot study, which is being done at three health institutions in Trinidad.
The plan is that eventually HIPTT application can be expanded into every health center and hospital across Trinidad and Tobago.
The HiPTT Team held a stakeholders meeting on September 21,
2015, at the University Inn and Conference Center to present a
progress report on the pilot study, launch HiPTT Social and engage
with all stakeholders. Prof Paul Teelucksingh, team leader, with Dr
Stacey Chamely, another team member.
