Discovering Hands, an innovative public health model for the early detection of breast cancer

An event was held in Cali to present the Discovering Hands model, which uses the touching skills of blind women for the early detection of breast cancer. This initiative, lead by CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, and the organization that created the Discovering Hands model, supported by the  Mayor's Office of Cali and its  Youth Secretariat, as well as the  Hospital San Juan de Dios, the Centro de Rehabilitación del Adulto Ciego (CRAC) (Center for the Rehabilitation of Blind Adults), and the Instituto para Niños Ciegos y Sordos de Cali (Institute for Blind and Deaf Children of Cali).

The main objective of the event, which was held at the Diego Garces Auditorium, was to visualize the Discovering Hands model and explore the construction of a pilot plan for the city of Cali, recognized in the past as a pioneering and innovative city with respect to primary health care, in order to make this initiative become a display case for the whole region. 

Discovering Hands promotes the productive employment of a labor force traditionally excluded from the market, as well as visualizing the economic and social burden that breast cancer represents for the region. 

Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate in the region, and for 2030 it is expected that the number of deaths with be twice as many. 

The early prevention and detection methods for this type of cancer are optimal. The standard method used is a mammogram, which is generally offered to women starting at age 50 despite the fact that there is a percentage of breast cancer that is detected in women uder 50 years old. 

Discovering Hands alleviates these gaps by training women with visual disabilities, taking advantage of the fact that they have developed their touching skills more than the rest of the population, to detect abnormalities in the breasts early-on. 

During a nine-months training period, women with visual disabilities, called Tactile Medical Examiners (EMT for its acronym in Spanish), learn the standardized diagnostic method to examine a woman's breast. In addition, the EMTs receive training in communication skills and physiology. Later, insurance companies cover the cost of the tactile examination. The event showed a live projection of a tactile examination from a doctor's office in Germany so that the participants of the event could better understand the methodology. 

Frank Hoffmann, doctor and creator of the model, commented, "Discovering Hands, proven in Germany and Austria, generates benefits for society and the health system because it complements a doctor's work by filling the gap that only the blind population can fill thanks to their enhanced sensory capacities, reducing costs for the system as a result of a decrease in treatment costs later on and, most importantly, increasing the possibilities of survival for women thanks to early detection".

Ana Mercedes Botero, CAF's Director of Social Innovation, highlighted the innovative character of the initiative, as "Discovering Hands transforms a disability perceived as such into a different skill and strength, in addition to generating employment and social inclusion in a very vulnerable group, traditionally excluded from the labor market. The adaptation of this initiative to the regional context is complex, and requires the coordination of many actors and the construction of a favorable ecosystem for its development". 

Harold Alberto Suarez Calle, Secretary of Municipal Health, stated, "For the Cali Municipal Public Health Secretariat it is very gratifying to see the city as a pioneer for this health model which is currently practiced in only two countries. Today, Colombia is learning about it to put it in practice and contribute to the early prevention and detection of breast cancer, providing blind women with the opportunity of becoming a comprehensive part of this novel program which, with the support of state social enterprises, health provider entities, and clinics, would adopt this pratice that would make this disease curable with early detection". 

Discovering Hands is a German social enterprise, which created the model with the same name. Founded in 2010, it has been recognized in many ways. In 2011, it received the innovation award granted by the German health system. Its founder and President, Frank Hoffmann is an Ashoka fellow. The model has started its expansion to Austria. More information at www.discovering-hands.de