Using Mobile Technologies to Improve Maternal Health
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This document discusses a project using mobile technologies to improve maternal healthcare in Ethiopia. Health extension workers are being trained to use smartphones running ODK Collect to collect patient data during visits. The data is uploaded to a server and displayed on a dashboard to help identify at-risk patients. The project aims to evaluate the feasibility of this approach and has so far found the technologies work well technically, though power is an issue at some health posts. Future work includes further developing the dashboard and client apps.
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Using Mobile Technologies to Improve Maternal Health
- 1. Mobile Technologies for Healthcare Alex Little & Florida Alemayhu BarCamp Ethiopia 2011 http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 2. mHealth ● Using mobile technologies to improve healthcare ● Lots of potential: ● data collection ● point of care support ● telemedicine/remote diagnosis ● So far little evidence of what really works and what may be scalable http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 3. Our programme ● As yet, little use of mHealth in Ethiopia ● Evalutation of the feasibility of using mobile technologies (smartphones) to improve maternal health ● Working with Health Extension Workers in Tigray http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 4. Stage 1: HEW interviews ● Interviews with HEWs and assess technical aspects. Findings: ● GPRS coverage much better than expected ● Technically worked well ● Lack of electricity at many health posts ● Language/date format ● HEWs very keen on using the smartphones http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 5. Stage 2: Smartphones to HEWs Training HEWs in how to use smartphones and practice using the data collection application http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 6. Protocol development ● Protocol is a standard medical care questionnaire ● Acts as reminder to HEWs to ensure they are asking all the correct information ● Information can be used to help risk assess patients ● HEWs/Midwives can focus on those most at risk of having complications during pregnancy/labour http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 7. Workflow 1 1. Data collected in the field using smartphones 2. Data automatically uploaded to server whenever GPRS connection available 3. Data instantly available via the scorecard dashboard 2 3 Internet http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 8. Scorecard Dashboard ● Graphical display of data submitted ● Highlight patients most at risk ● Missing appointments ● Protocols submitted by each HEW/Midwife http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 9. Technology Development http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 10. Hardware ● Used HTC Hero phones – smartphones getting cheaper all the time – could also use any other Android phone ● Solar lamp/chargers ● Dual battery chargers http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 11. Solar charging ● Testing out different solar systems for charging phones ● Many different products available, we're testing: ● D-light ● Glowstar http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 12. Software Demo http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 13. Data Collection Applications ● Many different data collection applications: ● EpiSurveyor ● Sana/OpenMRS ● OpenXData ● OpenDataKit (ODK) http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 14. OpenDataKit http://opendatakit.org/ ● ODK Aggregate – server app – runs either on your own server or on Google App Engine ● ODK Collect – client application for Android ● ODK Build – to help build form XML http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 15. Ge'ez keyboard To help HEWs enter data – they can use a Ge'ez keyboard for entering Amharic/Tigrinyan text http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 16. Customised Client app Developed the ODK Client application so dates can be entered in Ethiopian data format http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 17. Pregnancy Calculator Developed a small Android app to help calculate the expected delivery date http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 18. Scorecard Development ● Developed in PHP ● Links to ODK database ● Still under development - getting feedback from medical professionals http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 19. Overview ● So far, technology is working well ● Big test is over the next few months once the HEWs and midwives start to use the technology for real ● More development needed for the scorecard and client phone applications http://digital-campus.org © 2011
- 20. Thanks! Further info: http://digital-campus.org Alex Little: alex@alexlittle.net Florida Alemayhu:jesaflor@yahoo.com http://digital-campus.org © 2011