240195 Mobile technology for community health (MoTeCH) initiative

Monday, October 31, 2011

John Koku Awoonor-Williams, MD, MPH, MPP , Director of Regional Health Services, Upper East Region of Ghana, The Ghana Health Service, Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, Ghana
James F. Phillips, PhD , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
Allison Stone, MHS , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
Ernest Opoku, MD, MPH , Upper East Regional Health Administration, Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region, Ghana
Jemima A. Frimpong, PhD, MPH , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
Francis Yeji, Msc , Research Unit, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
Bruce MacLeod, PhD , Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
  
Background Cell phone proliferation has fostered a surge in mobile technology “m-health” initiatives that aim to support specific curative or preventive health systems rather than the full range of health information requirements for the continuum of care. Moreover, technology is developed and promoted without providing evidence that m-health technology contributes to health itself.

Objective/Purpose Mobile Technology for Community Health (MoTeCH) is a collaboration of the Ghana Health Service with Columbia University and the Grameen Foundation. MoTeCH is developing a comprehensive primary health care information system and testing the proposition that m-health technology can improve health.

Methods MoTeCH builds on Ghana's Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Initiative. Located in the Upper East Region, MoTeCH captures nurse health service data via inexpensive mobile phones and feeds back alerts and reminders to mothers, workers, supervisors and managers. MoTeCH is a randomized controlled trial for assessing the impact of m-health technology on health seeking behavior. Quantitative and qualitative operations research studies examine health worker efficiency and data quality.

Results MoTeCH has developed comprehensive health information cell phone data capture procedures, alerts and reminders feedback for workers, and information services for mothers who seek information support for antenatal, post-natal, and child health services. Project evaluation assesses the impact of MoTeCH on health behavior, health services, worker performance and time use, and supervisory support. Partnerships have been developed between national health information policy makers, regional authorities and district managers that ensure eventual scale up and utilization of m-health technology. Software systems have been developed to facilitate the transfer of the MoTeCH system to other programs and settings if MoTeCH is found to be effective.

Discussion/Conclusions MoTeCH technology, evaluation strategy, and initial results are described. Findings from project quantitative assessment of time-use and qualitative assessment of worker reactions are reviewed.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify evidence and health systems gaps in the current mHealth field 2. Describe an mHealth system that covers the full range of health information requirements for the continuum of care in the context of community-based health services 3. Explain the evaluation strategy of a project intervening at the level of the community health worker and the health seeking behavior of individuals

Keywords: Health Information Systems, Community-Based Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Co-Investigator of the MoTeCH Initiative and the Regional Director of Health Services in the project area.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Innovative Methods in Health Informatics Information Technology
See more of: Health Informatics Information Technology