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