Framework for Standardizing Indicators for Measuring mHealth Program Outcomes

In the global health community, there is growing consensus that mHealth strategies have the potential to improve Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH). However, in much of the existing mHealth literature, outcomes have been measured merely in terms of user acceptability and satisfaction. In order to support robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of mHealth strategies, the WHO Technical and Advisory Review Group (mTERG) for RMNCH developed a framework for identifying indicators for measuring mHealth program outcomes across the RMNCH continuum.

For the development of this framework, efforts have been made to draw from the existing pool of standardized indicators for RMNCH, and indicators commonly used for measurement of mHealth outcomes.  A claims-based approach has been employed to identify additional indicators under key “constraint” areas that mHealth strategies are hypothesized to address. These constraint areas are availability, cost, efficiency, quality and utilization.

Indicators identified through the proposed framework provide a basis for the assessment of mHealth strategies in a number of areas, including: (a) the technical / functional and operational aspects of the mHealth strategy; (b) the user feedback and responses to the mHealth strategy; (c) program success in addressing constraint areas for health service delivery. In brief, these indicators propose to standardize measuring whether the technology works, how users interact with the technology, and whether the technology accomplishes its stated goals. Standardized indicators for measurement of mHealth strategies are critical to supporting the scale-up of the most efficacious and cost-effective strategies.