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Digital Platform
In conjunction with World Compendium of Healthcare Facilities and Nonprofit Organizations, the Virtue Foundation Actionable Data Initiative has developed VFMatch.org, a first-of-its-kind digital platform that matches need and resources in global health through five key features:
- Nonprofit Listings
- Healthcare Facilities
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Country Maps and Key Information
- Toolkit for Nonprofits
The Actionable Data Initiative
The Virtue Foundation Actionable Data Initiative is a technology driven platform that seeks to create a more efficient marketplace for the delivery of healthcare in under-served regions of the world. Born from years of on the ground medical missions, the project seeks to use predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms to analyze geospatial data, infrastructure, risk factors, and other environmental conditions to better predict need and match available resources. World Compendium of Healthcare Facilities and Nonprofits Organizations is an outgrowth of this Initiative. As such, Virtue Foundation has developed additional technology tools that can serve as a companion to the Compendium.
Healthcare Facility Search Tool
The Healthcare Facility Search Tool provides a mapping of hospitals and clinics in 72 of low and lower-middle-income countries allowing for:
- Easy identification of those healthcare facilities best poised to support vulnerable populations seeking immediate care from the coronavirus,
- Better visualization of hospital locations in relation to population centers, and
- Better prediction of where resources and aid should be targeted by NGOs and governments to improve capacity and capabilities in those facilities most able to save vulnerable lives in their country.
Nonprofit Information Portal
The Virtue Foundation Nonprofit Information Portal provides comprehensive information on healthcare nonprofits, intergovernmental organizations, and educational programs in 72 of low and lower-middle-income countries. Details for each organization include: countries of work, areas of work, medical specialities, social media channels and contact information. The Portal also provides links to a volunteer form as well as opportunities to donate to the organization.
Volunteer Opportunity Form
To help reduce the friction of volunteer healthcare delivery, we are providing a way for volunteers to express their interest with the organizations listed in the compendium. The Volunteer Opportunity Form can be found in the Nonprofit Information Portal under the green ‘Volunteer’ button, and will be available for organizations that have indicated they are open to volunteer opportunities. Medical professionals interested in volunteering can notify an organization of their interest, qualifications, and areas of interest by filling out this form.
A Toolkit for Nonprofits
Virtue Foundation is providing individual organizations the tools to allow volunteers to apply for opportunities on the organization’s native website. The Virtue Foundation has written a single line of code for organizations to write in their systems, which will give the ability to integrate volunteer form functionality directly into their websites.
Copy this snippet of code on the Nonprofit website:
<script src="https://app.virtuefoundation.org/js/volunteer-widget.min.js"></script>
And get this functionality for volunteers:
Need & Resource Matching
The nonprofit and hospital data we’ve curated offers an opportunity for data mining, to derive further insight. Out of this data, we’re building a new indicator: the Vulnerability Index, accomplishing two objectives:
- Statically assess healthcare systems at a macro level.
- Depict how vulnerable country subdivisions compare, by measurements of hospital bed capacity and people’s mobility.
Additionally, insight from social media activity aids in identifying outbreaks and other local conditions in real-time. By combining these elements, we are able to highlight high-risk regions requiring assistance, right now.
The centerpiece of our upcoming platform will facilitate the allocation of resources in healthcare, reduce redundancies, and maximize impact. By analyzing relationships between nonprofits, hospitals, and other health sites on a global scale, we can impact the complex activities of on-the-ground healthcare.
As indicators and applications are built on top of this data, it is essential to add new organizations, health sites, and discard information that is no longer relevant. This can be achieved through innovation and automation. For example, public satellite data and ground images sourced from online user activity can be used in conjunction with machine learning algorithms to validate the location of hospitals, estimate facility area, and predict the number of beds available. Trivial features put together will forecast predictions and derive insights not seen otherwise.
By creating a platform that is driven by data, volunteers will know that their services will be most effectively and efficiently used in areas and opportunities that most need them.
