mHero: Using

mHealth to

Communicate

Effectively During

Crises and Beyond

Emily Nicholson

Senior Program Officer

IntraHealth International

Leah McManus

Program Officer

IntraHealth International

Session Overview

• Part I: Introducing mHero and Steps for

Rolling Out a National Communications

System

• Part II: mHero: Operations, Management

and Monitoring

• Part III: Data for Decision Making

1989-2003

Fourteen year

Civil War 2004-2013

Rebuilding

and growth

December 2013

EVD outbreak

begins in Guinea

and spreads to

Liberia and Sierra

Leone

December 2014

mHero health

worker

communication

platform piloted September 2015

Liberia

declared

Ebola-free

STRATEGIC PLANNINGPart I: Introducing mHero and Steps

for Rolling Out a National

Communications System

What is mHealth?

What Is mHero?

What is your stock

level of PPE?

2 PPE available

What kind of disease agent causes Ebola?

1)Bacteria 2)Virus 3)Toxin

4)Parasite

2) Virus

Could you confirm that

you are an RN?

Yes, I am an RN

PPE

DHIS2

iHRIS

Inte

rop

erab

ility

Lay

er

RapidProHW Registry

mHero

Facility Data

HW Data

Data flows from the health workers through RapidPro into iHRIS and DHIS2

Data flows from iHRIS and DHIS2 to RapidPro to enable messages to be sent

Facility Information

HW InformationWorkflow initiator

• Message Development

• Message Sender• Message Receiver

mHero Technology

1. Determine workflow for

use case

2. Develop and test use

case (RapidPro)

3. Determine which health

workers to contact (iHRIS)

4. Send message to a set of health

workers

5. Receive health workers’

response via SMS

6. After mHero completes workflow,

document responses

7. Monitor responses and

act accordingly

8. Implement use case with another set of health workers

or close workflow

Workflow Development Process

The mHero Process

1• Starting Up

2• Establishing the Structure and Design of mHero

3• Adapting Component Technologies

4

• Developing the Institutional Implementation Capacity of the MOH

5• Identifying Use Cases

6• Developing, sending, and monitoring messages

7• Reflecting and Improving

Deeper Dive: Stakeholder Engagement

• Who will oversee mHero?

• Who are our stakeholders?

• How will we engage with them?

• How often?

1. MOHSW Organogram

2. Partner Mapping Table

Deeper Dive: Workplanning

• How will we plan our activities?

• What will we use to monitor our work?

1. Quarterly Workplan

2. Use Case Tracker

Deeper Dive: Governance

• How will the system operate?

• What agreements need to be in place

with stakeholders?

• What are the roles needed for

sustained implementation and who will

fill them?

1. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

2. Data Sharing Agreements

3. Terms of Reference

WorkplanningPart II. mHero: Operations,

Management and

Monitoring

Resources Needed

• Health worker information and database

• Workflow development platform

• Computers, servers, and other accessories

• Internet access

• Cellphones and cellphone coverage

• Contracts with mobile network operators for messaging services

• Staffing• Coordinator

• Team to mange and monitor mHero

• mHero Steering Committee (Senior Leadership)

mHero Use Cases… Quick Examples

Stock

Annual Messages

Routine data to compliment HMIS Reminder on key strategic health

servicesReminders on reporting

Warning system

Health system/infrastructure assessments

Validate HRIS data

Feedback loop HRM training and tips

License renewal and reminders

Dissemination of information

Routine Non Routine One Way Two Way Sent by MOH Sent by HW

Use Cases from Liberia Name of

Use Case

Description # Recipient

Type

Location End User of

Data

Status Description

EPI Accountability Stock receipt and use

information, include provision

of Vaccines

116 EPI

Officers

National EPI Unit Monthly assessment. Conducted

monthly since December 2015.

Nutrition

Supplies

Assessment on

anthropometric tools in

health facilities

13 Nutrition

Officers

National Nutrition

Unit

Monthly assessment. Conducted

monthly since May 2015.

Family

Planning

Assessment on

Training, Commodities and

Service Provision

254 Reproductive

Health

Supervisors,

County Health

Team, Officers in

Charge

National Family

Health

Unit

Monthly assessment. Conducted

monthly since November 2015.

Availability

Chlorohexidine

Oxytocin

Stock Levels 15 Officers in Charge National Family

Health

Unit

Complete. One time assessment.

Use Cases from Liberia Name of

Use Case

Description # Recipient

Type

Location End User of Data Status Description

Prison

EVD/Stock Assessment

Assessment of various stock levels

for EVD

IPC supplies and other critical

commodities.

17 Officers in charge National County

Health Services,

Prison Health

Complete. One time assessment.

TB/HIV

Report

Reminder

Reminder to

TB/HIV Officers on stock availability

and to send

consumption report.

72 TB/HIV

Officers

National TB/HIV

Unit

Complete. Currently

only sent one time due to content

of reminder.

Warehouse

Focal Persons

Identification

Identification of focal persons for

Warehouse management in each

County Health Team

16 Officers in charge National Warehouse

Management Unit

Complete. One time assessment.

Health Worker

Validation

To validate the personnel data

information in iHRIS

1190 Health workers Margibi, Cape

Mont, Bomi,

Lofa

HR Sent to 4 Counties.

Team Work Activity

• Break up into groups of three

• Review Data Sets

• Follow SOP and Complete Use Case

Request Form

• Present your Use Case

• What are the priorities within your Unit, project, intervention or teams?

• What do you do? How do you interact with others?

• What types of communication and information do you need?

• What are your challenges to getting this?

• What reports do you have to write?

• Who do you communicate with?

• What do you communicate?

• What are your challenges and information needs?

Identifying Communication Needs

Challenges =

Use Cases

Team Work Activity

Completed mHero Workflow

Stakeholder Engagement

Part III: Data for Decision Making

MEASURE Evaluation’s conceptual framework – the role of

data use activities in health systems strengthening

MEASURE Evaluation’s logic model for strengthening

the use of health information in decision making

Thank You