7/30/2019 CaseStudy SAfrica MobileHealthInfoSys Eng FINAL Sept2012

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Case Study

Mobile Health Information System: Providing Access to Information for Health Care Workers

In South Africa, where access to relevant health literature and broadband Internet access is limited,

nurses at the Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex (PEHC) are using 3G wireless technology to overcome

access-to-information challenges and provide better care to their patients. With the help of the Mobile

Health Information System (MHIS) an Internet-capable, commercially available smartphone pre-loaded

with a locally relevant, reliable clinical library nurses can access much-needed information at the point

of care.

Challenge

Every day, people in Sub-Saharan Africa die unnecessarily from infectious diseases; including malaria,

tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, pneumonia and diarrhea. Chronic lifestyle diseases can also burden fragile health

systems.

In South Africa, only 13.9 percent of the population has Internet access and only 0.9 percent has broad-

band connectivity, Many doctors and nurses, par ticularly in rural areas, cannot access the Internet for

life-saving information. They are isolated from the global conversations on health, not able to keep abreast

of the latest information on epidemics or access clinical content for patient management.

The burden of providing health care in rural areas increasingly falls on nurses rather than doctors.

Enhancing their access to relevant clinical information is vital to improving health service delivery.

Solution

MHIS taps into the power of mobile technology to overcome barriers to Internet access and information

poverty.

Designed to support the delivery of comprehensive patient care, the mobile library includes digitized

medical guidelines, protocols, diagnostic tools, and drug formularies to improve patient care.

Impact

Enhancements in clinical practice

Based on a rigorous, multi-phased evaluation process, project partners identified enhancements in clinical

practice and a positive response to the tool from program participants.

Nurses were more confident in answering questions at the point of care, thereby empowering their patients

with information on their illnesses. It was furthermore reported that the project generated an overall pattern

of knowledge-seeking behavior and learning.

Nurses regularly consulted the clinical library on their device and searched the Internet for health informa-

tion as they cared for patients.

love that I can access

health information at

the point of care, as I

do not always have the

time to go to theibrary. The device is

oaded with so much

relevant and interesting

content.

Rochelle Gelandt, RegistereNurse at Livingstone HospitalARV Wellness Clinic

SouthAfrica

Health

Care

Partners

- Eastern Cape Department

of Health

- FHI 360 (formerly AED)

- Henry E. Niles Foundation

- MTN-South Africa

- Nelson Mandela Metropolitan

University, Department of

Nursing Science

- South Africa Partners

2011 Statistics

- Life expectancy: 49.4 years

- Population: 48,810,427

- GDP per capita: US$11,000

- Internet penetration: 13.9%

- Mobile penetration: 114.5%

Sources: CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook); Mobile

penetration data provided by Informa UK Limited andbased on market intelligence. Internet penetrationdata provided by www.internetworldstats.com andbased on data published by Nielsen Online, theInternational Telecommunication Union, GfK, and localregulators.

7/30/2019 CaseStudy SAfrica MobileHealthInfoSys Eng FINAL Sept2012

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