Praava Health’s Praanno Tool Inspires Successful Telehealth Pilot in Malaysia
Innovation in healthcare is vital to improving patient outcomes, and telemedicine has proven to be an essential tool in the delivery of healthcare services. At Praava Health, a leading healthcare provider in Bangladesh, we have been at the forefront of primary care and telemedicine. Our Praanno tool, developed to support transforming healthcare in the region, has caught the attention of healthcare providers across the world, including, recently, those in Malaysia. In an exciting joint partnership, Praava Health freely provided its technology to Aceso Global, a healthcare consulting firm, to bring the benefits of telemedicine to the Malaysian public healthcare system.
The Praanno telemedicine tool provides patients remote access to healthcare services. It is designed to improve access to quality services, especially in areas where access to healthcare is limited. With Praanno, patients can consult with doctors and healthcare professionals from the comfort of their own homes, avoiding the need to visit a hospital or clinic. Originally created to provide remote care for Covid-19, the tool is facilitated over Facebook messenger, allowing patients to interact with clinical protocols to support management of a wide range of chronic conditions. Tech-led interactions are seamlessly handed over to doctors and other specialized healthcare professionals when required.
One of the many advantages of Praanno is the quality of care it provides. The tool, for example, proved to be extremely effective in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and preventing further transmission of the virus in Bangladesh. According to data collected by Praava Health, 86% of Praanno patients recovered at home, compared to 49%, nationally. The tool also lowered out-of-pocket costs for patients, reduced the chance of hospital-acquired infections and saved costs for the healthcare system
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Praava Health was approached by Aceso Global, a healthcare consulting firm that works with governments, healthcare providers, and private sector organizations to improve healthcare outcomes. They had been working closely with the Malaysian government to transform the country’s public healthcare system. A telehealth pilot designed by the Malaysian government incorporated a version of the Praanno app and tested its patient journeys across its public health system. Videos and infographics on pulse oximeters and breathing exercises, which were directly inspired by the videos that Praava Health had created for Praanno, were uploaded on the Malaysian national health app MySejahtera and viewed over 16+ million times between September — December 2021. Beginning in four clinics, a hybrid model was then scaled to 270 clinics across Malaysia after data collection and analysis.
The success of the telehealth pilot in Malaysia was remarkable, with improved patient outcomes and increased access to healthcare services. While benefiting the people of Malaysia, the pilot also highlighted how private healthcare experiences and technological know-how can benefit public health systems, demonstrating that when the public and private sectors work together, they can create innovative solutions to improve healthcare outcomes.
Praava Health is currently working to raise funding to scale its Praanno tool across Bangladesh in order to bring its critical healthcare services to more people. Going forward, Praava Health will continue its work in transforming the healthcare experience within Bangladesh and across South Asia, with an ongoing emphasis on combining a “click and brick” experience to best serve its patients.
