JEMBER – Politeknik Negeri Jember (Polije) has developed AI-KUSTACARE, an application designed to strengthen the early detection of leprosy. The application supports community-based leprosy monitoring through local healthcare services.

Polije implemented the innovation through a community service program in Kasiyan Village, Jember. Local healthcare workers participated in the program as users of the system.

The team conducted the program through five activities. The first activity took place on June 8 and involved field surveys and program coordination.

The team then provided leprosy education and introduced AI-KUSTACARE on July 17, 2026. On August 13, the team visited leprosy patients to provide assistance and conduct monitoring.

“This series of activities is part of our ongoing support program. We aim to strengthen the role of communities and healthcare workers in early detection,” said Tegar Wahyu Yudha Pratama on Tuesday (August 18, 2026).

AI-KUSTACARE enables community members to conduct preliminary self-screening using artificial intelligence based on skin images. The system then sends the screening results to healthcare workers for verification.

The application also features an automatic notification system for healthcare workers. This feature allows them to monitor screening results in real time and determine appropriate follow-up actions.

“We want healthcare workers to receive the screening results as soon as possible. This allows follow-up actions to take place more quickly and in a more targeted manner,” Tegar said.

The team also trained healthcare workers to use various AI-KUSTACARE features. The training covered result verification, interpretation of detection results, notifications, and follow-up procedures.

The program was led by Tegar Wahyu Yudha Pratama, together with Sabran and Mas’ud Hemansyah. Students Assyifa Itsnainia Mustika and Moh. Lutfi Rizalul Hakim also supported the activities.

Through AI-KUSTACARE, Polije aims to connect communities with healthcare services more quickly. The innovation is also expected to strengthen community-based leprosy surveillance.