MedShr has won Gold for “Engaging HCP Communities” at the PM Society Digital Awards 2024! Reaching over 70,000 healthcare professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), our app-based medical education programme in sickle cell disease, Educating to Improve Newborn Screening and Management With a Case-Based App, was recognised by the judges for its impact on clinical decision-making.
While the award is a great achievement for our team, the real success story lies in the lives impacted by this educational programme.
In many LMICs, sickle cell disease (SCD) remains a significant health challenge, with limited access to newborn screening and early intervention strategies. In such settings, online medical education plays a crucial role in equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to make a real impact on patient outcomes. By using digital platforms like MedShr to reach and educate healthcare workers, we can bridge critical gaps in care, enhance clinical capabilities, and ultimately improve the management of diseases like SCD where early diagnosis and treatment are vital.
This programme was designed to address one of the most critical healthcare challenges in LMICs – the management and treatment of SCD, particularly in newborns. Newborn screening is often unavailable in these regions, leading to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal care. Our education, delivered through the MedShr app, aimed to bridge this gap by providing case-based, peer-to-peer learning for healthcare professionals (HCPs) and community health workers.
By reaching over 70,000 HCPs, this programme helped boost knowledge and confidence in SCD screening and management, especially in regions where resources are limited. With 92% of users reporting that the app was helpful in their clinical decision-making, it’s clear that this initiative delivered high clinical impact, fostering better patient outcomes and more effective disease management.
What sets this programme apart is its accessibility. The clinical cases were tailored specifically to the realities of healthcare in LMICs, based on insights drawn from our global audience. We ensured the app was accessible via low-bandwidth, making it usable even in areas with unreliable internet access. This thoughtful approach by the team enabled more HCPs to engage with the education and apply what they learned in their everyday practice, driving meaningful change in the management of SCD.
PM Society Digital Awards judges noted:
“this represents an extremely high clinical impact towards the programme’s aims and therefore, it was a rightful Gold in this category”.
At the heart of this successful HCP engagement programme is our talented, passionate team, whose dedication has led to a significant improvement in healthcare delivery where it’s needed most. This achievement is a reminder of the power of accessible education in transforming patient outcomes globally.
As we celebrate this win, we are inspired to continue leveraging digital tools and case-based education to empower healthcare communities and improve lives, especially in resource-challenged settings.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this project, and to the healthcare professionals who continue to work tirelessly for better patient outcomes.
This Independent Medical Education Program was supported by grant funding from Novartis.