CLICK TO ADD TITLE The 5th Global Health Supply Chain Summit Twenty Lessons from SMS for Life pilot...

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The 5th Global Health Supply Chain Summit

Twenty Lessons from SMS for Life pilotPeter Ward

November 14 -16, 2012Kigali, Rwanda

© Peter Ward, 2012. All rights reserved

Agenda

• Brief description of project and results

• Twenty lessons

• References and links


Brief description of project and results


SMS for Life pilot project overview

Dar es Salaam

Lindi Rural

Ulanga

Kigoma Rural

• A public-private team– Novartis, IBM, Vodafone,

Ministry of Health, Roll Back Malaria

• Focused on raising visibility of stock levels of malaria drugs in health facilities– Thus permitting actions to

reduce stock-outs

• Pilot project ran in 3 districts

• “SMS for Life: a pilot project to improve anti-malarial drug supply management in rural Tanzania using standard technology”, Barrington, Wereko-Brobby, Ward, et al. Malaria Journal 2010, 9:298


SMS for Life pilot project sample Google map


SMS for Life pilot project results

Lindi rural Ulanga

Kigoma rural • Graphs are % facilities with stock-outs

• Colours represent the 4 types of drug

• Downward trend in all districts over the 5-month pilot period


Twenty lessons from SMS for Life


Lessons 1 of 4: prerequisites

1) You need strong sponsorship– We had a hands-on

senior Novartis executive committed to success

2) You need strong and committed partners– Each one committed for

their own reasons and contributing well

3) You need good project management– Experienced, with good

yet flexible processes

4) Ensure your objectives are clear up-front– Ours was “provide

visibility of stock levels” which we could deliver, not “reduce stock-outs” which we couldn't


Lessons 2 of 4: the way to work

5) You need to build good relationships with your Ministry– Most projects fail and

Ministries know this– Ours improved during

the project as our professionalism was visibly maintained

6) You need to be aware of other initiatives in the same department– Sensitivity is required

7) Make sure you work with, not “do to”– Sense of respectful

partnership required

8) Factor in a full recce before finalising your plans– Don't assume you know– We identified several

requirements and value-add opportunities


Lessons 3 of 4: application basics

9) Design the field user interface for phone, not laptop– Phones are ubiquitous– But not smartphones!

10)Keep UIs simple– Any processing

complexity should be in the central server

11)Carefully consider where to site the central server– Out-of-country may

provide better service

12)Be aware of end user capabilities– Some staff had

previously never sent an SMS message

13)Be prepared to donate smartphones and data packages for senior regional staff– To avoid using laptops

for web access

14)Be aware of bandwidth requirements/availability


Lessons 4 of 4: on the ground

15)You must keep engaged throughout the pilot period– It keeps everyone

focused

16)Be aware of your project adding workload to overworked staff– Compensate them!

17)Ensure you understand ministry staff's per diem expectations for training– Even senior regional staff

may expect it

18)Provide guidance simply– We provided a poster

19)Plan travel carefully– Road conditions vs. rainy

season, even with 4x4– Safety of certain roads– Flights may be preferable– Build contingency into

travel plans

20)Take opportunities to add value during the project– Education


References and Links


References and links 1 of 2

• Project press release: http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/29022.wss

• Malaria Journal: http://www.malariajournal.com/content/9/1/298

• IBM Icons of Progress: http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/medicineon-demand/

• IBM Smarter Planet blog: http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2010/04/texting-saves-lives.html

• UK Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/sms-life-saving-lives-malaria?newsfeed=true


References and links 2 of 2

• SMS for Life on Roll Back Malaria website: http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/psm/smsWhatIsIt.html

• Project summary report: http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/docs/SMSsummaryReport.pdf

• Project detailed report: http://www.rollbackmalaria.org/docs/SMSdetailReport.pdf

• WSJ 2011 award for Health-Care IT: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203633104576623261551755704.html

• ComputerWorld 2011 Laureate in Health: http://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/CWHONORS2011/35791/?&

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