Evidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review

Smisha Agarwal; Henry B. Perry; Lesley‐Anne Long; Alain B. Labrique

doi:10.1111/tmi.12525

journal article Open Access May 14, 2015

Evidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review

Smisha Agarwal Henry B. Perry Lesley‐Anne Long Alain B. Labrique

Tropical Medicine & International Health Vol. 20 No. 8 pp. 1003-1014 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/tmi.12525

Abstract

AbstractObjectivesGiven the large‐scale adoption and deployment of mobile phones by health services and frontline health workers (FHW), we aimed to review and synthesise the evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of mobile‐based services for healthcare delivery.MethodsFive databases – MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, Google Scholar and Scopus – were systematically searched for relevant peer‐reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2013. Data were extracted and synthesised across three themes as follows: feasibility of use of mobile tools by FHWs, training required for adoption of mobile tools and effectiveness of such interventions.ResultsForty‐two studies were included in this review. With adequate training, FHWs were able to use mobile phones to enhance various aspects of their work activities. Training of FHWs to use mobile phones for healthcare delivery ranged from a few hours to about 1 week. Five key thematic areas for the use of mobile phones by FHWs were identified as follows: data collection and reporting, training and decision support, emergency referrals, work planning through alerts and reminders, and improved supervision of and communication between healthcare workers. Findings suggest that mobile based data collection improves promptness of data collection, reduces error rates and improves data completeness. Two methodologically robust studies suggest that regular access to health information via SMS or mobile‐based decision‐support systems may improve the adherence of the FHWs to treatment algorithms. The evidence on the effectiveness of the other approaches was largely descriptive and inconclusive.ConclusionsUse of mHealth strategies by FHWs might offer some promising approaches to improving healthcare delivery; however, the evidence on the effectiveness of such strategies on healthcare outcomes is insufficient.

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376

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References

Details

Published: May 14, 2015
Vol/Issue: 20(8)
Pages: 1003-1014
License: View

Authors

S

Smisha Agarwal

Department of International Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore MD USA; Johns Hopkins Global mHealth Initiative Baltimore MD USA

H

Henry B. Perry

Department of International Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore MD USA

L

Lesley‐Anne Long

mPowering Frontline Health Workers mPowering Frontline Health Workers Washington, D.C

A

Alain B. Labrique

Department of International Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore MD USA; Johns Hopkins Global mHealth Initiative Baltimore MD USA

Funding

mPowering Frontline Health Workers

Cite This Article

Smisha Agarwal, Henry B. Perry, Lesley‐Anne Long, et al. (2015). Evidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 20(8), 1003-1014. https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.12525

Evidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review

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