INNOVATE+: Proximie and the Surgical Society of Kenya partner to enhance surgical training

INNOVATE+ is a results-driven public-private partnership which demonstrates the transformative power of digital technology in addressing inequitable access to surgical care. It places Proximie as a critical enabler for the scaling of evidence-based interventions to strengthen the capacity of the surgical workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to deliver safe and timely surgical care to all. INNOVATE+ serves as an example for how to leverage the advances in health technology catalysed by the COVID-19 pandemic by fostering local drive and multi-stakeholder engagement for sustainable, national ownership.

The partnership approach of INNOVATE+ is based on early work performed in Makueni County, Kenya where the first Proximie-powered operating theatre was established at Makueni Mother and Child Hospital. Makueni Mother and Child Hospital has become a showcase “innovation hub” for important learning on how best to adapt and adopt the Proximie technology to support surgical training and supervision. This hub supported a project called Augmented Reality for Safe Cesarean Section (ARC/S) which was implemented as a partnership between Jhpiego, Proximie, and the Government of Makueni County to support the Jhpiego Obstetrics Safe Surgery (OSS) programme. It aimed to improve maternal health indicators, strengthen theatre teamwork and improve healthcare worker training and mentorship expanding Proximie powered hubs to additional district level facilities in the county.

INNOVATE+ is expanding its partnership framework and working to develop a clear model for how technology can contribute to strengthening health systems with the surgical workforce as the entry point. There are four strategic objectives of this work:

• Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of safe and equitable surgical care through the use of digital health;
• Leverage innovations in digital health to support building surgical team capacity;
• Continue to build national and subnational capacity to implement and sustain new digital health solutions embedded into surgical training, mentoring and quality improvement mechanisms; and
• Contribute to the growing evidence base for digital solutions in LMICs by evaluating if the intended programmatic and economic results are achievable at scale.

“INNOVATE+ is expanding its partnership framework and working to develop a clear model for how technology can contribute to strengthening health systems with the surgical workforce as the entry point.”

Through this novel partnership framework, Proximie will work collaboratively with professional associations, academic institutions, national and subnational governments and other key stakeholders, to demonstrate the transformative power of digital technology.

We are pleased to announce that the Surgical Society of Kenya (SSK) has partnered with Proximie through INNOVATE+ with the aim to not only strengthen and grow the surgical workforce in Kenya, but also expand surgical training through collaborative surgical technology and shared digital resources.

“...the Surgical Society of Kenya (SSK) has partnered with Proximie through INNOVATE+ with the aim to not only strengthen and grow the surgical workforce in Kenya, but also expand surgical training through collaborative surgical technology and shared digital resources.”

The digital engine of the surgical training revolution

INNOVATE+ will establish up to seven Proximie powered training and innovative hubs in 2024 at teaching and referral hospitals within counties that have been co-identified with the Surgical Society of Kenya and additional collaborative partners.

The beating heart of INNOVATE+ is Proximie's state-of-the-art platform: a lightweight and secure digital software platform that facilitates real-time remote collaboration among surgical teams, enabling the sharing of interactive expertise and support using augmented reality.  

“The beating heart of INNOVATE+ is Proximie's state-of-the-art platform…”

By not only linking facility based teams through the digital interface, innovation hub sites can also link to each other across counties to create a wider community of best practice, creating leaps forward in surgical training for:

Real-time collaboration and observation

Select training sites will be connected in real-time, offering surgical residents the opportunity to observe procedures that are not commonly seen, enriching their learning experiences and exposing them to new techniques that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

Virtual mentorship and case review

Proximie enables virtual mentorship and surgical case reviews, making it possible to create tailored learning experiences for surgical trainees through both real-time and asynchronous case review. Furthermore, Proximie enhances the quality of surgical mentorship by using technology to promote consistent technique, regular communication and on-demand instructional support, as well as the opportunity for innovative peer-to-peer case review and support.

“Proximie enables virtual mentorship and surgical case reviews, making it possible to create tailored learning experiences for surgical trainees through both real-time and asynchronous case review.”

Access to innovative training resources and workshops

SSK members will gain access to innovative training resources, master classes, and collaborative workshops through the Proximie platform. This real-time, interactive learning environment will provide myriad valuable opportunities for skill development and knowledge enhancement.

Tracking the learning curve

The data gathered by Proximie allows the tracking of surgical trainees’ learning curves and overall performance, providing valuable insight into their progress and making it possible to identify areas of excellence or areas that require improvement.

Building a digital library of resources

Connecting to the Proximie platform creates a vast array of opportunities for recording and accessing video of surgical procedures. This will build a centralised hub of training and research resources for SSK members, making it possible to easily access cutting-edge information on demand, thereby fostering continuous learning in the surgical workforce.

Contributing to global research

The INNOVATE+ partnership provides SSK members with all the tools they need to make a meaningful contribution to global research on the role of digital technology in strengthening the surgical workforce. This research initiative aligns with Kenya's digital health policy goals, showcasing the nation's commitment to advancing healthcare through technological innovation.

Dr. Paul Odula, the President of the Surgical Society of Kenya, says: “Proximie is going to make it possible for us to do major surgeries in many centres around the country. For example, transplant surgery is something that’s usually done in only one or two counties, and that’s something that needs to be possible in a much higher number of locations. Through Proximie, counties will be able to keep abreast of what procedures are being carried out in neighbouring areas, how they have transformed their training programmes, and how this can be matched or benchmarked. Connectivity is key, and Proximie is making that possible through this collaboration.”

“Connectivity is key, and Proximie is making that possible through this collaboration.”

Proximie’s Head of Global Health, Dr. Shannon Shibata-Germanos, says: “INNOVATE+ is a collaborative partnership framework which we envisage as an umbrella concept. While initial work began - and continues to scale - under this framework in Kenya, we will also expand to other countries in due time. For example, we envisage that there will be INNOVATE+ Kenya, INNOVATE+ Ethiopia, INNOVATE+ Rwanda  and more. The aims and principles will remain constant throughout.

“There will ultimately be many associations partnering with Proximie but the Surgical Society of Kenya is the first. We applaud Makueni County for being the first to launch Proximie Powered hubs within their healthcare system through the Jhpiego OSS programme, thereby becoming exemplars of best practice in integrating digital technology into surgical training. The initial seven Innovation Hub expansion sites are made possible by Proximie’s Amazon AWS Health Equity Award, which is donating hardware to equip the sites.”

The partnership between Proximie and the Surgical Society of Kenya under INNOVATE+ marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of surgical training. As the power and positive impact of INNOVATE+ becomes increasingly apparent, it will create greater momentum for replicating the model in other locations, exponentially improving the efficacy of future surgical education and practice on a global scale.

“INNOVATE+ marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of surgical training.”