Medical Student · Digital Health · Healthcare Research · Product Building
Medicine, Digital Health & Product Building
I'm a medical student interested in improving healthcare access through research, thoughtful product development, and technology. My work explores how healthcare problems can be translated into practical, user-centred solutions.
A Medical Student at the Intersection of
Healthcare and Product Thinking
I am a medical student at Ebonyi State University, Nigeria, with a growing interest in how research, technology, and thoughtful product development can improve healthcare access — particularly in underserved communities.
Through my work as founder and Product Lead of iTOO, an early-stage eye-care initiative, I have gained hands-on experience in understanding healthcare problems, engaging potential users, defining product ideas, and coordinating a small team. I have also developed a research project exploring how preventive AI systems could be designed for eye care in low-resource settings, which has been accepted for a poster presentation at ADTC 2026.
My interests span digital health innovation, healthcare research, product discovery, user-centred design, and the responsible application of AI in healthcare. I am continuing to develop my skills in evidence appraisal, Python programming, and product strategy, and I am looking for opportunities where I can contribute meaningfully while continuing to learn.
What I Bring
- Healthcare problem analysis and research
- Product discovery and user research
- Feature planning and user journey mapping
- Medical domain knowledge and clinical context
- Coordination across design and development teams
- Developing skills in Python and AI tools
iTOO — Exploring Better Access to Eye Care
The Problem
Access to timely, affordable eye care remains a serious challenge, particularly in underserved communities. Cost, distance, a shortage of trained eye-care providers, and limited awareness all create barriers that prevent early detection and treatment. For many people, this means preventable vision loss that could have been avoided with earlier access to the right care.
The Vision
iTOO is an early-stage initiative exploring ways to reduce these barriers — helping people find relevant eye-care information, connect with services, and take meaningful steps towards protecting their vision. The aim is to make the journey to eye care simpler, more accessible, and better suited to the realities of people in underserved settings.
Proposed Directions
Information & Awareness
Help users understand eye-care symptoms, risks, and the importance of early attention.
Service Discovery
Connect users to relevant, affordable eye-care providers and services in their area.
Simplified Access
Reduce friction in the path from awareness to action with intuitive user journeys.
UI/UX Mockups — Work in Progress
My Contributions to iTOO
Research & Discovery
Researched the eye-care access problem and potential users. Collected feedback and conducted user research to inform product direction.
Product Definition
Defined proposed product features and user journeys. Created and reviewed UI/UX mockups to translate ideas into visual form.
Early Execution
Built the iTOO landing page. Coordinated volunteers and developers. Built and managed a waitlist to gauge early interest.
What I Am Learning
Working on iTOO has introduced me to the realities of early-stage product development: how to frame a healthcare problem clearly, how to listen to potential users, how to make decisions with limited information, and how to coordinate across design and development efforts. It has also shown me how much complexity lies between a product idea and a working solution — and why that gap deserves careful, honest thinking.
Where iTOO Stands
Discovery ✓
Problem researched. User feedback gathered. Potential user journeys mapped.
Early Build ✓
UI/UX mockups completed. Landing page live. Waitlist built.
Development
Backend development and MVP build — planned next phase.
Pilot
Testing with communities and measuring access improvement — future goal.
Designing Preventive AI Systems for Eye Care in Low-Resource Settings
Author: Chidinma Favour Agha
Affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, Ebonyi State University, Nigeria
Recognition: Accepted for a poster presentation at ADTC 2026
Research Overview
This research explores how AI-enabled preventive eye-care systems could be designed for low-resource settings in Africa, with an emphasis on accessibility, affordability, population relevance, and responsible implementation. It proposes a conceptual and methodological framework — no AI model was trained or experimentally tested as part of this work.
Key Insight
Effective healthcare AI requires more than a technically promising model. Data quality, population relevance, clinical workflows, affordability, infrastructure, patient safety, and implementation constraints must all be considered when designing systems intended for real-world deployment.
Research Questions
How could AI-based preventive systems improve access to early eye-condition screening in low-resource settings?
What technical approaches could support affordable, resource-efficient systems?
What clinical, technical, ethical, and implementation limitations must be addressed?
Areas Explored
Barriers to Access
Barriers preventing people in underserved communities from accessing eye care.
AI Approaches
Proposed AI methods for eye-condition screening and risk stratification.
Data & Representation
Data availability, population representation, and the risks of bias in training datasets.
Responsible Implementation
Clinical oversight, safety, data privacy, lightweight architectures, and practical scalability constraints.
Healthcare Research & Evidence Reviews
This section collects completed research briefs, evidence reviews, and healthcare analyses. It will grow as new work is completed — each entry reflects genuine research rather than placeholder content.
Preventive AI for Eye Care in Low-Resource Settings
A conceptual and methodological exploration of how AI-enabled systems could be designed to improve access to early eye-condition screening in Africa. Accepted for poster presentation at ADTC 2026.
Barriers to Eye-Care Access in Underserved Communities
A structured review of the structural, economic, and geographic barriers that prevent timely access to eye care in low-income settings.
Responsible AI in Eye Screening
An exploration of the ethical, clinical, and implementation considerations that must accompany AI-based diagnostic tools in healthcare.
Digital Health Adoption in African Healthcare Systems
An analysis of factors that influence the adoption of digital health tools across African health systems, including infrastructure, trust, and policy.
How I Approach Healthcare Problems
The following reflects genuine work and thinking from my experience building iTOO. It shows how I approach understanding a problem, engaging users, and making early product decisions.
Understanding the Problem First
Before defining any features for iTOO, I spent time understanding the actual barriers people face in accessing eye care — cost, geography, provider shortages, low awareness — and how those barriers differ across communities. This research shaped every subsequent product decision.
Listening to Potential Users
I collected feedback from potential users to understand their experiences, frustrations, and expectations around eye-care services. This user research informed the user journeys I later mapped and the features I prioritised for the initial scope of iTOO.
Making Early Decisions with Limited Information
One of the most valuable lessons from iTOO has been learning to make reasonable product decisions with incomplete information — deciding which features to prioritise, which complexity to defer, and how to keep the scope realistic for an early-stage team.
From Problem to Product Direction
What I Have Produced
- User research and problem framing
- Defined user journeys for core flows
- Feature list and initial prioritisation
- UI/UX mockup review and feedback
- Landing page and waitlist
- Team coordination across design and development
Capabilities at a Glance
Healthcare Research
- Healthcare problem analysis
- Research and evidence appraisal
- Research writing and communication
Product Development
- Product research and discovery
- Feature planning and prioritisation
- User research and feedback collection
- User journey mapping
- Early-stage product coordination
Technology
- Basic Python programming (developing)
- Familiarity with AI tools and automation
- Continued learning in digital health technology
Communication & Collaboration
- Research presentations
- Written communication
- Coordinating volunteers and developers
A Developing but Distinctive Combination
Medical training gives me a practical understanding of clinical contexts, patient needs, and the real consequences of healthcare decisions. This shapes how I approach product thinking — with attention to outcomes, not just features.
I am building technical and research skills alongside my medical education, and I am looking for opportunities where I can contribute meaningfully while continuing to grow. My resourcefulness and curiosity are as much a part of what I bring as any specific tool or qualification.
What I Have Done So Far
Founder & Product Lead — iTOO
Founded and continue to lead iTOO, an early-stage initiative exploring improved access to eye-care services. Responsible for product direction, user research, feature definition, UI/UX oversight, landing page, waitlist, and team coordination.
Research — Preventive AI for Eye Care · ADTC 2026
Authored a research project exploring the design of AI-enabled preventive eye-care systems for low-resource settings in Africa. Accepted for a poster presentation at ADTC 2026. Affiliated with the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Ebonyi State University, Nigeria.
Medical Student — Ebonyi State University, Nigeria
Currently studying medicine and surgery, developing clinical knowledge, analytical reasoning, and an understanding of healthcare systems and patient needs that informs all of my research and product work.
Let's Connect
I am open to internships, research collaborations, and entry-level opportunities in digital health, healthcare research, product development, and health-tech operations. If you are a recruiter, researcher, founder, or collaborator working on something relevant, I would be glad to hear from you.
🏥 Digital Health & Innovation
Digital health innovation, healthcare technology, and product development focused on improving access to care and patient experiences.
🔬 Healthcare Research
Research support, evidence reviews, and projects involving responsible AI in healthcare.
📦 Product & Operations
Junior product roles, product operations, and customer experience in healthcare and health-tech.
📧 Email: [email protected]
X: @Your_NeuralMuse
Chidinma Favour Agha