Qualcomm and Xi'an Kingtone join forces in the treatment of Amblyopia in children

Qualcomm Incorporated through its Wireless Reach initiative, and Xi’an Kingtone Information Technology Co. Ltd. in collaboration with China Children and Teenagers’ Fund, today announced the launch of the Mobile Vision Project. The project utilizes a 3G-enabled mobile application developed by Xi’an Kingtone Information, smartphones powered by Qualcomm chipsets and 3G wireless connectivity to assist doctors in collecting and archiving information related to the screening and treatment of children with amblyopia in underserved communities in China. According to the National Eye Institute at the United States National Institutes of Health, amblyopia, also referred to as “lazy eye”, is the most common cause of vision impairment in childhood. If detected early, amblyopia is treatable; however, if not, it can cause lifelong disability. In China, a key reason for lack of treatment is that clinicians in rural areas often lack the knowledge on how to properly diagnose and care for children with this disease. Additionally, financial hardship prevents many children in remote areas from traveling to urban areas for therapy, where even there challenges in diagnosis and care are encountered.

Doing their part

Wireless Reach, Xi’an Kingtone Information and China Children and Teenagers’ Fund collaborated to implement the Mobile Vision Project to address these challenges. The project, which is being implemented at Hengshui City Maternal and Child Care Service Center (MCCSC) and other public health centers in Hebei Province, utilizes a custom mobile application that enables data collection and analysis, as well as helps with patient screening and diagnosis, to provide more accurate statistics and, therefore, better patient care. The new system also gives clinicians access to a searchable online ophthalmology database for a comprehensive collection of eye care information. Hengshui Women’s Federation and China Children and Teenagers’ Fund provided support for the project through their specialized institution focusing on children with amblyopia. The Mobile Vision project serves approximately 400,000 children and teenagers up to the age of 14.

Eye care professionals in towns and villages received 3G-enabled smartphones, laptop computers, PCs and mobile broadband connectivity via China Telecom’s 3G EV-DO network.  With these tools and technologies, doctors can access the system anytime and anywhere via a web portal or mobile application in order to do basic reporting and submit information to county-level MCCSCs. In addition, county health workers can electronically review patients’ health records for screening and then refer children needing further treatment to city-level public health centers. City-level health workers also can access the system to obtain directions on how to treat and cure patients.