Low-Bandwidth Collaboration for Health Workers and Their Communities - Patricia Abbott / Forum One Web Executive Seminar

Using Low Bandwidth Electronic Communication Systems for the Community and Public Health Workforce Patricia Abbott Co-Director of the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Nursing Knowledge, Information Management and Sharing (KIMS) Supported by NLM Informatics Training Grant; Hopkins SOM

Web Executive Seminars Global Health and the Internet: How Can We Save More Lives? November 13, 2007 National Press Club Washington, DC

Healthcare Workforce Crises

World Health Report of 2006

Shortage of 2.5 M healthcare workers

50-90% of most countries’ workforce is made up of non-physician providers.

56 countries with severe shortages

36 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Distribution of health care providers (RN, MD,MW)

The Message

The frontline of global healthcare is composed of diverse providers with diverse needs

Access to information is a basic tenet of a developing nation

Efforts to increase information technology, improve health, and decrease poverty are complementary, not competitive

The Message

The frontline of global healthcare is composed of diverse providers with diverse needs

Access to information is a basic tenet of a developing nation

Efforts to increase information technology, improve health, and decrease poverty are complementary, not competitive

A MDG that cannot be measured cannot be met nor missed.

Minimalist ICT

Community of Practice (CoP)

Electronic Communication System (ECS)

Implementing Best Practices (IBP)

Global Alliance for Nursing And Midwifery Communities of Practice (GANM)

CoP & Electronic Communication System

Community of Practice (CoP) –

the process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions , and build innovations

Electronic Communication System (ECS)

Uses very low bandwidth (adapted web technology to function through email)

CoP ECS Electronic CoP (e-CoP) CoPs bridge the knowledge to practice gap

IBP: Implementing Best Practices Bloomberg School of Public Health

GANM: The Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery

Online Community of Practice (using the ECS)

Started September, 2006

Currently 1,356 have joined from 123 countries

Sub- communities

Making Pregnancy Safer

Information and Communication Technologies

Pandemic Prevention (H5N1, ARDS, SARS) for Community/Public Health Workers

HIV/AIDS

Elluminate Live!

Virtual Classroom

Elluminate

An Internet-based tool for e-learning and collaboration

Designed for low-bandwidth

Runs over standard phone line or cellular

Supports “VoIP” – free internet telephony

Facilitates learning & meeting from a distance

http://my.ibpinitiative.org/public/GANM

We have a bad outbreak of measles in the Diyala Province of Iraq because we cannot get out to run the vaccination clinics. What should we do? They are killing all the doctors and nurses. We are afraid. Does anyone have ideas on how I can better work with the native Inuit’s to get them to come back to the clinic? Handwashing in the village is not just related to no water or soap. It is just not done. Any ideas on how to change this would be really appreciated. Can I make a mask that is effective out of T-shirt material to use in the community where ARDs is suspected? I need current information on Dengue fever. Does anyone have any articles or guidelines that they can share? Are there any classes that I can take? I live too far from any university to attend. How can we get the Ministry of Health to listen to our concerns? We are just nurses & midwives and they don’t seem to care. I call it poor care for poor people – why do we let this happen?

GANM Action Examples