Social Innovation Collaboration Healthy India Project

The purpose of Baylor University’s “Social Innovation Collaboration Healthy India Project” is to strengthen health system capacity in India through the adaptation, design, research and dissemination of new technologies and construction of centers of excellence. Strengthening health system capacity refers to increasing the number of health professionals and improving their physical and intellectual resources to improve health outcomes.

This international multidisciplinary project involves an active partnership between faculty and students from Baylor University and Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) in India from fields of nursing, medicine, health sciences, computer sciences, business, art, university scholars, and statistics. This mutually beneficial partnership includes international exchanges between Baylor and BBH faculty and students. These mutually beneficial immersions provide Baylor faculty and students with opportunities to learn about global healthcare, research and to develop cultural humility, ultimately improving their capacity to care for diverse populations in the US and globally.

This project includes large-scale transformative education, research, and opportunities to improve patient care in both countries. Large-scale impact is demonstrated through the physical construction of three new centers for excellence in Bengaluru, India where best practices in technology design are implemented such as the use of mobile health (mHealth) apps to improve patient care.

For information on how to get involved in this project, please email Dr. Shelby Garner at Shelby_Garner@Baylor.edu

The Simulation Healthcare and Research Center for Nursing Excellence

Baylor University and Bangalore Baptist Hospital built and opened the first Simulation Healthcare and Research Center for Nursing Excellence in 2017 funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Healthcare simulation involves the use of human patient robotics and a replicated clinical space to give health providers a safe way to practice and perfect clinical decision making and other skills rather than practicing on real patients. Since Baylor and BBH opened the center in 2017, more than 30 nursing and medical schools in India have visited the center to glean ideas for replicating the technologies and programs throughout the country of India and thousands of faculty and students in nursing and medicine have been trained. One unanticipated benefit of the simulation center was its impact during the peak of the COVID pandemic. The simulation center was used to train health professionals on emergent protocols for COVID prevention and treatment and was transformed into a clinic where over 20,000 people were vaccinated. Baylor faculty and student teams have participated in 20 immersive trips to India to implement and research new technologies.

Extramural Grants

21^st Century Knowledge Initiative Grant – US India Education Foundation (USIEF). Indo-U.S. Partnership to Transform Research Education Capacity in Simulation and Virtual Reality Simulation to Improve Community Health Education Outcomes in Karnataka, India. 2018-2020. Funded $99,677.
US India Educational Foundation (USIEF) Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Flex Grant for Research. Title: Evaluating the Impact of Simulation Use in Nursing Curricula in Bengaluru, India. 2016-2018. Funded $28,000.
US Agency for International Development (USAID) American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) 2015 Grant to establish and construct the Simulation Education and Research Centre for Nursing Excellence in Bengaluru, India. 2016-2019. Funded $652,800.
Texas Organization for Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Education (TOBGNE) Excellence in Research Grant: 2014. Funded $2,000. This grant was matched by the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing: 2014. Funded $4,000.

Publications

Simulation evaluation: Observation versus self-efficacy among nursing students in India. Clinical Simulation in Nursing. 2020, 39(C), 55-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2019.11.005.
Effectiveness of intravenous skill continuing education using low-fidelity simulation among nurses in India. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 2018, 49(6), 255-261. doi:10.3928/00220124-20180517-05
The impact of simulation education on self-efficacy towards teaching for nurse educators. International Nursing Review, 2018, 65(4), 586-595. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12455
A model for upscaling global partnerships and building nurse and midwifery capacity. International Nursing Review, 2017, 64(3), 331-344. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12349
Partnering to establish and study simulation in international nursing education. Nurse Educator, 2017, 42(3), 151-154. doi:10.1097/NNE.0000000000000333
Perceived strategies to increase retention rates among nurses in India: A qualitative study. Journal of Nursing Research Society of India, 2016, 9(1), 71-83.
Nurse migration from India: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2015, 52(12), 1879-1890. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.07.003
Building nurse capacity through relationships, education, and collaboration. Nurse Education Today, 2015, 35(5), 653-656. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.01.014.
Perceived rewards of nursing among Christian nursing students in Bangalore, India. Journal of Religion & Health, 2015, 54(6), 2164-2177. doi:10.1007/s10943-014-9940-1
Student nurses’ perceived challenges of nursing in India. International Nursing Review, 2014, 61(3), 389-397. doi:10.1111/inr.12117

Awards

Hayden Vanguard Lectureship: An Innovative International Collaboration to Build a Program of Nursing Simulation Education and Research in India. Awarded by INACSL – The International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning. Sponsored by CAE Healthcare. INACSL Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin: June 15-18, 2022.
International Excellence in Educational Research Award, awarded by the Sigma Theta Tau International/Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for Excellence in Nursing Education. Award winner announced July 19^th, 2018 at the 29^th International Research Congress Sigma Theta Tau International, Melbourne, Australia

Media Spotlights

United States Embassy in India Span Magazine, Bridging US India Relationships (September 21, 2021). Fulbright Nehru: A Transformational Experience.
CAE Healthcare (2019). Nurses in India improve learning outcomes with Juno manikin. Click here.
US Agency For International Development (July 11, 2017). Bangalore Baptist Hospital unveils state of the art facility for nursing education. .
Times of India (June 11, 2017). Bengaluru gets state of the art simulation education centre to train nursing students, doctors. Click here.
HAMSA T.V. (Nov 07, 2017) Bangalore Baptist Hospital Inauguration of Simulation Education & Research Center. Click here.
Baptist Standard (Feb 29, 2016). Baylor prof’s research focuses on nursing education in India. Click here.

Pictured above: BBH students practicing in the simulation lab.

Pictured above: BU students training BBH students using simulation.

Picture above: BU faculty teaching life-saving skills to BBH ER staff in a simulation setting.

Pictured above: BU faculty turning over the key to the new sim center at the building inauguration.

The Women and Children's Healthcare and Research Center

This BU and BBH project entails new construction of a Women’s and Children’s Healthcare and Research Centre at Bangalore Baptist Hospital. The overarching goal of this USAID funded project is to promote public diplomacy by increasing the number of services delivered to more women and children in Bengaluru, India and serve as a setting to implement US evidence-based practices and new innovations in obstetrics, gynecology, neonatology, and pediatrics. New practices include neonatal and pediatric palliative care programs and infusion of US preventive care guidelines for women. New innovations include the use of mobile technologies to improve healthcare access for women and children. This project will add 100 beds onto the existing hospital and serve as a place for BU and BBH faculty and students to do research and evidence based practice projects.

Extramural Grants

US Agency for International Development (USAID) American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) project title: A Partnership to Build a Women’s and Children’s Healthcare and Research Centre in Bengaluru, India to Increase Mutual Understanding Between the People of the US and the People of India. 2017-2022. Funded $900,000.

Publications

Building youth health champions in an Indian subpopulation for non-communicable disease prevention. Health Education Journal. 2020, 79(3), 303-314, click here.
Improving neonatal outcomes through global professional development. Advances in Neonatal Care. 2019, 19 (1), 56-64. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000000550.
The Pad Project: A global initiative uniting women, Journal of Christian Nursing, 2017, 34(1), 42-47. doi:10.1097/CNJ.0000000000000334

Media Spotlights

KCENTV (Jan 17, 2019). Baylor University awarded $900K to help build health care center in India. Click here.

Pictured above: This center is on schedule to open December 2021.

The Living and Learning Center with Smart Classrooms

This new construction BU and BBH project entails adding a Living and Learning Center with Smart Classrooms onto an existing structure at Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) for students enrolled in the hospital’s nursing institute for higher education. The aim of this USAID funded project is to promote public diplomacy and catalyze collaboration between citizens of the US and citizens of India by empowering women to promote gender equality through building nurse and organizational capacity and sustainability at BBH to improve health outcomes in Bengaluru and surrounding communities

Extramural Grants

Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant. Title: Innovation in Digital Learning through an E-Cafe' to Improve Health Literacy among Nursing Students in India. 2021-2022. Funded $5,000.
US Agency for International Development (USAID) American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) project title: An International Collaboration to Build a Living and Learning Center with Smart Classrooms to Advance Nursing Education in India. 2018-2023. Funded $525,693.

Media Spotlights

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (September 8, 2021). Literacy Spotlight on an E-Café for Nurses in India. Click here.

mHealth Research

A hypertension and diabetes mobile health app designed by the Baylor/BBH team was used to improve health literacy among vulnerable populations in India. The app was found effective and recently made available for free download on google play store to widely spread its use throughout India.

Extramural Grants

21^st Century Knowledge Initiative Grant – US India Education Foundation (USIEF). Indo-U.S. Partnership to Transform Research Education Capacity in Simulation and Virtual Reality Simulation to Improve Community Health Education Outcomes in Karnataka, India. 2018-2020. Funded $99,677.

Publications

Implementing a mHealth app to combat hypertension in India's vulnerable populations. Information Technology & People. 2021 http://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-02-2020-0080
Mobile health to improve hypertension and diabetes health literacy among Asian-Indian migrants to Hong Kong. CIN Computers Informatics Nursing. 2021 http://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000807
Cross Cultural Team Collaboration: Integrating Cultural Humility in mHealth Development and Research. Informatics for Health and Social Care. 2021 https://doi.org/10.1080/17538157.2021.1895168
Effectiveness of an mHealth application to improve hypertension health literacy in India. International Nursing Review. 2020, 67(4), 476-483. http://doi.org/doi:10.1111/INR.12616
mHealth collaboration for social good: Lessons on adaptability. In R. McHaney, I. Reychav, J. Azuri, M. McHaney & R, Moshonov (eds.), Impacts of information technology on patient care and empowerment, 2019, pp. 322-342. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Smartphone accessibility and mHealth use in a limited resource setting. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 2018, 24, e12609. doi:10.1111/ijn.12609

Media Spotlights

United States Embassy in India SPAN Magazine (July/Aug 2020). An interdisciplinary team of Baylor University researchers and physicians from Bangalore Baptist Hospital has developed a diabetes mobile health app with culturally tailored resources. Click here.
Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing (2019). Research and Scholarship Faculty Spotlight. Click here.
Daily Nurse: The Pulse of Nursing (Nov 15, 2018). Baylor nursing researchers awarded grant to develop diabetes app for use in India. Click here.
AI in Healthcare (Oct 22, 2018). Researchers developing smartphone app to educate people in India about diabetes. Click here.
Baylor University (Oct 22, 2018). Baylor researchers awarded grant to develop diabetes mobile health app for use in India. Click here.

Pictured above: BU researcher training BBH community health workers in newly designed technology.

Pictured above: BU and BBH researchers collaborating.

Pictured above: BU and BBH researchers brainstorming session with community E-Health Innovations.

Pictured above: Collaboration with community partners, Greengold Animation.

Pictured above: Implementing mHealth apps in rural villages.

Pictured above: Testing diabetes app in urban communities.

Pictured above: Using mHealth technology to educate auto-rickshaw driver on diabetes prevention.