MHIS – Port Elizabeth

a collaborative project to extendhealth information to the point of care

Mobile Health Information System

1. identify need

2. identify content to meet need

3. identify delivery device

4. identify delivery service

5. train users

6. train support system

7. evaluate impact

does access to quality health and medical information at the point of care improve practice?

can we make the provision of quality information at the point of care affordable, accessible and relevant?

do cell phones provide a viable option for the delivery of content for use at the point of care ?

will nurses use information on a cell phone to improve their work?

Study questions:

Put a mobile library of local and international content on a cell phone and update that content regularly; allow nurses to access other content via the web and email; cap monthly usage (costs).

Needs assessment conducted – over 700 responses – top issues:

• extreme multiple drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) (76.4%)

• HIV/AIDS (72.8%)

• multiple drug resistant TB (72.1%)

• ARV (71.2%)

• PMTCT (53%)

• non-communicable diseases/ chronic diseases of lifestyle (52.2%)

• STIs (43.4%), Malaria (42.6%), public health legislation (40.4%)

guide server

updates and

new content

nurses access: contentwebemailsmsvoice

• Clinical content identified, packaged (GUIDE)

• 50 PEHC nurses trained

• IT dept staff trained

• Refresher training

• Tech/User Support - 3-tier model (peer-to-peer, - weekly meetings, IT support, MTN and ADE-SATELLIFE)

Content converted to mobile format and organized for ease of use

Evaluation(Conducted by NMMU, Nursing Sciences Department – Dr. Ricks et al)

0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%70.00%

Internet Explorer

MS Outlook

MS Power Point

MS Excel

Note Pad

Yes

No

No response

73% of nurses aged 45-60 years

68% with little or no computer training

89% reported improved nursing practice through information access

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

Update knowledge on patient

care

Provide relevant

information to patients

Provide up to date

information to patients

Provide correct

information to patients

Empower patients

with knowledge

of illness

Enhance knowledge of drug side

effects

Yes

No

No Response

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Essential drug list

Eastern Cape Disease Directory

Standard treatment guidelines

Medical calculator

81% found it extremely easy to easy to find and read content on the mobile device

cost elements:

smart phoneair timetrainingcontent conversionlocal server and internet access

evaluationprogram management

100% will continue to use cell phone post project92% said it was helpful to carry the phone to access content while at work92% would be willing to buy their own phone 82% felt their practice improved

Partners:

• AED-SATELLIFE

• Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex

• South Africa Partners

• Qualcomm

• Department of Health for the Eastern Cape

• Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

• MTN-South Africa

Health care workers want and use content to improve decision making

Cell phones are viable delivery tools and the cell network can deliver customized content

Next Steps:

1. Expand to the full province2. Use cell phones to collect data and provide continuing

education, job aids and reference tools

hladd@aed.org