📒What is SPICE?

Overview

SPICE, an open-source digital platform designed with and for health systems, patients, and communities. SPICE is focused on data-driven, outcomes-focused care at both the community and primary care levels. The platform is certified as a digital public good, and we work with Ministries of Health to plan for long-term country-ownership.

Digitization is not enough. Data collection alone does not drive outcomes. At Medtronic LABS we enable health systems to collect high quality data and use data insights to make decisions that drive outcomes.

Rather than community health and facility level care operating in silos, SPICE bi-directionally links community health work with facility services with closed-loop referrals and counter-referrals. Community Health Workers receive targeted community-based follow-up for longitudinal patient management based on clinical algorithms. At the facility level doctor visits, pharmacy and lab workflows are augmented clinical decision support. Ultimately, the community and primary care model enabled by SPICE drives improved health outcomes for patients.

Healthcare delivered at the community level delivered via community health workers has been disconnected from care delivered within formal health system. With SPICE-enabled care models, the patient journey is seamless regardless of whether they visit a facility, receive an SMS, talk on the phone with a provider, or welcome a visit from a community health worker. Closing the loop between facilities and communities is one of the keys to driving treatment plan adherence and ultimately health outcomes.

SPICE Features

SPICE focused on data-driven, outcomes-focused care at both the community and primary care levels. The platform enables health systems to collect high quality data, coordinated across levels of care, and use data insights to make decisions that drive improved clinical outcomes. SPICE supports a range of primary care areas including diabetes, hypertension, ante- & post-natal care and mental health.

SPICE facilitates community based screening & referrals based on a patients’ risk level and refers for further assessment. SPICE enables a bi-directional linkage between the community and facilities levels, seamlessly linking referrals and coordinating care. SPICE has built in SMS messaging to remind patients to seek care at critical points in the patient journey.

At the facility level, SPICE provides the ability for a clinician to perform a medical review, prescribe medications, and order investigations. SPICE generates a customized treatment plan for the patient based on their CVD Risk level (calculated from the WHO Hearts algorithm) which includes a combination of community-based assessment and facility medical reviews. SPICE generates a longitudinal patient record for the physician to track progress over time and meaningfully impacts clinical outcomes.

Impact

To date, SPICE-enabled programs have screened 500,000 patients and enrolled 230,000 patients and measurably improved the lives of over 120,000 patients globally. In multiple peer-reviewed studies, Medtronic LABS has shown significant decreases in clinical indicators such as blood pressure and blood glucose for patients across multiple sub-Saharan African countries.

Specifically, our outcomes data shows:

• Our Journal of Hypertension publication reports a-15.2 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure in the uncontrolled subgroup.

• Our Journal of Clinical Hypertension reports-17.6 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure in the uncontrolled subgroup

• Real-world evidence studies of 52,000 hypertension over 6 months across four countries shows a – 7.9mmHg reduction in blood pressure, control rates improving by 17.7% and shifts in hypertension severity towards less severe.

• Real-world evidence studies over 20,800 diabetic patients over 6 months across four countries show improvement in both fasting and random blood glucose control for the population.