-
Assessing scale-up of mHealth innovations based on intervention complexity: two case studies of child health programs in Malawi and Zambia.
September 4, 2015 Editor 0
Related Articles Assessing scale-up of #mHealth innovations based on intervention complexity: two case studies of child health programs in #Malawi and Zambia.
J Health Commun. 2015;20(3):343-53
Authors: Noordam AC, George A, Sharkey AB, Jafarli A, Bakshi SS, Kim JC
Abstract
As interest in mHealth (including Short Message Services or SMS) increases, it is important to assess potential benefits and limitations of this technology in improving interventions in resource-poor settings. The authors analyzed two case studies (early infant diagnosis of HIV and nutrition surveillance) of three projects in Malawi and Zambia using a conceptual framework that assesses the technical complexity of the programs, with and without the use of SMS technology. The authors based their findings on literature and discussions with key informants involved in the programs. For both interventions, introducing SMS reduced barriers to effective and timely delivery of services by simplifying the tracking and analysis of data and improving communication between healthcare providers. However, the primary implementation challenges for both interventions were related to broader program delivery characteristics (e.g., human resource needs and transportation requirements) that are not easily addressed by the addition of SMS. The addition of SMS technology itself introduced new layers of complexity.PMID: 25581520 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Related Posts
Diversifying agricultural production and improving diets in Malawi
Doubled-up legume technology in Malawi boosts land productivity
Lessons Learned From Working Firsthand in Malawi’s ICT Sector
Prize will expand use of life-saving neonatal device in Africa
A Global Online Network Lets Health Professionals Share Expertise- UNC-Malawi cancer pathology laboratory is a model for Sub-Saharan Africa
On the trail of adoption data: Africa RISING embarks on study to evaluate use of improved technologies in northern Ghana Molecular diversity of Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus in Sudan: high rates of intra-species recombination – a driving force in the emergence of new strains.
