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January 29, 2025 – A pioneering international partnership has resulted in the development of a new health monitoring tool designed to support childhood cancer care in Mexico. This tool, named SaludConectaMX, offers an innovative approach to monitoring pediatric cancer patients, particularly those in low- and middle-income communities where healthcare access is fragmented and resources are scarce.
For children battling cancer, even small complications like a high fever can lead to life-threatening situations. In many parts of Mexico, families face additional challenges in accessing timely and quality healthcare due to limited resources, poverty, and insufficient social support systems. Fragmented healthcare systems and the absence of accessible health data have often delayed critical care, worsening outcomes for pediatric cancer patients.
Now, an interdisciplinary team of 30 researchers and health professionals from the University of Notre Dame, the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez (HIMFG), and the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico (INSP) have published promising results from a study evaluating the usability of a cooperative cancer care monitoring tool, SaludConectaMX. The study, published in the Companion Publication of the 2024 Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, reveals that the tool could be key to improving pediatric cancer treatment and care in these underserved communities.
A Holistic Approach to Pediatric Cancer Care
SaludConectaMX is designed to be used by both clinicians in hospitals and caregivers at home. Its dual application system includes a hospital web component and a family mobile app that tracks critical clinical indicators, such as temperature, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and mental health status. These indicators are crucial for monitoring cancer patients who are vulnerable to infections and other life-threatening complications during treatment.
“The tool allows real-time communication between healthcare providers and caregivers, empowering them to monitor the child’s health status closely and identify complications before they become critical,” said Nitesh Chawla, founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society and lead author of the study. “While this is just the beginning, we are hopeful that SaludConectaMX will have a transformative impact on families battling pediatric cancer.”
Addressing Socioeconomic Barriers
Many children in Mexico suffer from extreme poverty, with more than half of the population lacking health insurance or social welfare benefits. In 2022, 95% of emergency room consultations at HIMFG were from children without health coverage, underscoring the vast disparity in healthcare access.
The collaborative project seeks to bridge this gap by offering a comprehensive solution that includes monitoring not only the child’s physical health but also social determinants of health, which often play a significant role in the patient’s risk factors for complications.
“The system is designed to help track not only the clinical indicators but also factors such as the mental health status of caregivers, and social barriers that can hinder access to care,” explained Angélica García Martínez, a postdoctoral research associate at the Lucy Family Institute. “This holistic approach provides a more complete picture of the patient’s health and can help in making more informed decisions.”
Overcoming Challenges
One of the significant challenges faced during the development of SaludConectaMX was addressing the needs of both healthcare providers and caregivers. Caregivers, particularly in rural areas, often lack technical literacy and experience with mobile apps. The research team worked closely with families to identify and overcome these barriers.
“Many caregivers struggle with understanding how to input critical data, such as oxygen saturation and temperature, into the system,” said Karla Badillo-Urquiola, co-author of the study and assistant professor at Notre Dame. “To address this, we incorporated a training feature in the app to guide caregivers through the process and ensure they could effectively use the tool.”
Looking Forward
The pilot study, which has already enrolled nearly 400 patients, is a promising first step. The next phase will involve analyzing user feedback and optimizing the system’s features. Leveraging artificial intelligence, the team plans to further enhance the family mobile application, making it even more user-friendly and responsive to the needs of both patients and caregivers.
“We have seen significant engagement with the system so far, and our next priority is to improve its functionality and expand its capabilities,” said Jennifer Schnur, a graduate research assistant at Notre Dame and co-author of the study. “We are optimistic that the next phase will help us refine the system to better meet the needs of the families we are serving.”
SaludConectaMX represents a new hope for families in Mexico facing the challenges of pediatric cancer. The collaboration between international researchers and healthcare professionals highlights the potential for global partnerships to tackle complex health issues and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a study published in the Companion Publication of the 2024 Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. The findings discussed herein represent preliminary research and may be subject to change as further data is analyzed and more comprehensive studies are conducted.
