Remote monitoring

Remote monitoring - Saving Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Lives during Covid-19 and beyond

COVID-19 has adversely affected people’s health across the globe, and many have lost their lives due to complications from having other medical conditions like high blood pressure (HBP) and Type2 diabetes (T2D). The CheckUp Health app is the only solution of its kind that focuses on the healthcare sector in the HBP/ T2D BAME community especially while they are being adversely affected by Covid-19. With the mHealth app and website, patients are empowered to manage their own health by monitoring their blood pressure/type 2 diabetes safely from their own homes using remote monitoring devices. Thanks to The CheckUp Health app and remote monitoring devices, patients can perform many of the tests required for type 2 diabetes /high blood pressure in their homes, without having to travel and be unnecessarily exposed to Covid-19. This will improve the overall health of the BAME community and offer them real-time assistance when they need it, at whatever stage of their health problem they are in. CheckUp Health has a variety of healthcare professionals who understand the needs of the BAME community. BAME people are more likely to contract Covid-19 due to a variety of factors like genetics, poverty, use of public transport and as previously mentioned, HBP and T2D. Age and BAME are two of the major contributing factors, and when combined with intergenerational households, the exposure to high risk people by asymptomatic super spreaders is much higher. The CheckUp Health project is vital in improving the health of BAME communities which have been over- looked in the past due to various factors. With over 50 years of experience, CheckUp Health addresses the healthcare inequalities exposed by Covid-19 in the BAME population by focusing on this community and offering them a way to monitor and improve their health remotely.

CheckUp Health strives to meet the needs of the HBP/T2D BAME community. No matter what stage the patient is at with their diagnosis, CheckUp Health is here to meet the needs of the HBP/T2D BAME community every step of the way.

During the pandemic, BAME patients had 20% less access to treatment than before Covid-19, which severely affected their ability to get the Covid-19 treatment they needed. As a result, and because T2D and HBP increases the risk of severe Covid-19 infection, BAME patients have a 10%-50% increased risk of death. The pandemic ultimately exposed the exacerbated longstanding inequalities affecting BAME people in the UK, and their health outcomes are now worse than ever. Due to genetics, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people are more likely to have high blood pressure (HBP) and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to Caucasians, and because of these health conditions, are more susceptible to Covid-19. The UK has 4 million people with T2D. Africans/AfricaCaribbeans are three times more likely and South Asians six times more likely to develop T2D. 50% of T2D sufferers also have high blood pressure and T2D is 3-4 times more likely to occur in black people of African/ Africa-Caribbean descent than white people. mHealth is paramount in getting BAME communities the monitoring and medical treatment they need during the pandemic. But due to factors like language difficulties (most apps are in English- BAME people’s second or third language) religious beliefs and poverty, to name a few, BAME people have not been able to get the help they so desperately need.

CheckUp Health has high standards, a clear vision for the future and are working towards improving the app and reaching the wider community.

Fungai Ndemera, Director of CheckUp Health shares the reason she started the project: “Both my dad and father In-law passed away a week apart due to undiagnosed diabetes. They passed away at a time when we least expected them to, some years back. The memories of their sudden death and the pain left to us and our mothers drove me to research more and want to be part of the people who help solve problems caused by hypertension and diabetes.

“What shocked me in my research is that 415 million people are estimated to be living with diabetes globally, approximately 1 in 11 of the world’s adult population. This figure is projected to increase to 642 million people by 2040.

“According to new NHS research, almost one in three people who have died in hospital in England after testing positive for Covid-19 also had diabetes. The risk is also more pronounced for men, people of black or Asian ethnicity and those in more deprived communities. Those with pre-existing kidney disease, heart failure and previous strokes are also at high risk, Because of the impact the remote monitoring solution will have on minority groups in the UK, Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, has awarded funding to drive the project forward and make a real impact. Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.

“CheckUp Health, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”

The launch of the CheckUp Health website is a major step in allowing BAME community members to get the medical advice, help and support they need, from healthcare professionals who understand the various cultures, religions and languages. CheckUp Health wants to help as many BAME people as possible, by introducing them to the website, app and remote monitoring solutions that we offer.

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