Our latest award is to Brandon Smith to help him further research, prototype and experiment with his idea of ‘Amulet’ – an ultra-low-cost wearable electronic health record (EHR) designed for rapid deployment in resource-constrained or disrupted healthcare settings, such as in conflict zones, humanitarian crises, and with displaced populations. Brandon is a post doc researcher with a background in both medicine and electronic engineering and experience of collaboration with overseas partners.

His idea is that Amulet will be able to securely store critical health data: diagnoses, management plans, allergies, medications, and next-of-kin details. Healthcare personnel will be able read and write to the device using already owned, ubiquitous technologies such as mobile phones. The goal is for Amulet to eliminate the need for substantive network infrastructure (e.g., cloud servers, computer access, substantive internet connectivity), bridging chasms in record keeping, information, and knowledge, empowering providers and patients with a resilient, accessible tool for delivering quality care worldwide.

We wish Brandon well with this challenging but potentially transformative project.