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BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) applications, such as innovative electronic forms on smartphones, could potentially improve the performance of health care workers and health systems in developing countries. However, contextual evidence on health workers’ barriers and motivating factors that may influence large-scale implementation of such interfaces for health care delivery is scarce.MethodsA pretested semistructured questionnaire was used to assess health workers’ experiences, barriers, preferences, and motivating factors in using mobile health forms on smartphones in the context of maternal health care in Ethiopia. Twenty-five health extension workers (HEWs) and midwives, working in 13 primary health care facilities in Tigray region, Ethiopia, participated in this study.ResultsOver a 6-month period, a total of 2,893 electronic health records of 1,122 women were submitted to a central computer through the Internet. Sixteen (69.6%) workers believed the forms were good reminders on what to do and what questions needed to be asked. Twelve (52.2%) workers said electronic forms were comprehensive and 9 (39.1%) workers saw electronic forms as learning tools. All workers preferred unrestricted use of the smartphones and believed it helped them adapt to the smartphones and electronic forms for work purposes. With regards to language preference, 18 (78.3%) preferred using the local language (Tigrinya) version of the forms to English. Indentified barriers for not using electronic forms consistently include challenges related to electronic forms (for example, problem with username and password setting as reported by 5 (21.7%), smartphones (for example, smartphone froze or locked up as reported by 9 (39.1%) and health system (for example, frequent movement of health workers as reported by 19 (82.6%)).ConclusionsBoth HEWs and midwives found the electronic forms on smartphones useful for their day-to-day maternal health care services delivery. However, sustainable use and implementation of such work tools at scale would be daunting without providing technical support to health workers, securing mobile network airtime and improving key functions of the larger health system.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1478-4491-13-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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BackgroundMobile health applications are complex interventions that essentially require changes to the behavior of health care professionals who will use them and changes to systems or processes in delivery of care. Our aim has been to meet the technical needs of Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and midwives for maternal health using appropriate mobile technologies tools.MethodsWe have developed and evaluated a set of appropriate smartphone health applications using open source components, including a local language adapted data collection tool, health worker and manager user-friendly dashboard analytics and maternal-newborn protocols. This is an eighteen month follow-up of an ongoing observational research study in the northern of Ethiopia involving two districts, twenty HEWs, and twelve midwives.ResultsMost health workers rapidly learned how to use and became comfortable with the touch screen devices so only limited technical support was needed. Unrestricted use of smartphones generated a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among the health workers. Ownership of the phones was a strong motivator for the health workers, who recognised the value and usefulness of the devices, so took care to look after them. A low level of smartphones breakage (8.3%,3 from 36) and loss (2.7%) were reported. Each health worker made an average of 160 mins of voice calls and downloaded 27Mb of data per month, however, we found very low usage of short message service (less than 3 per month).ConclusionsAlthough it is too early to show a direct link between mobile technologies and health outcomes, mobile technologies allow health managers to more quickly and reliably have access to data which can help identify where there issues in the service delivery. Achieving a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among health workers is a prerequisite for a successful introduction of any mobile health program.

The concept of en bloc removal of tissue surrounding the esophagus was applied to intrathoracic esophageal cancers, and the first 80 cases were operated on by this technique between 1969 and 1981. Analysis of prognostic factors showed that only penetration through the esophageal wall and lymph node spread influenced survival. Since 1981, a new staging system based on wall penetration (W) and lymph nodes (N), as well as systemic metastases (M), and similar to the modified Dukes' system for colon cancer has been used to select patients before and during surgery for en bloc resection if favorable pathology (W1, N0, or N1) could be anticipated. When curative resection was not attainable, based on preoperative and operative staging, a standard esophagectomy was considered for relief of symptoms when necessary. From July 1981 to June 1984, 68 esophageal cancers were referred to us, and 31 were resected by the en bloc method, 21 by standard esophagectomy, and 16 were not resected. The success of preoperative staging was confirmed, as only nine of the 31 en bloc cases demonstrated both W2 and N2 pathology. The proportion of W2N2 cases subjected to en bloc esophagectomy was less (p less than 0.01) than that in the preceding series. This selection of cases showed a favorable deviation in the survival curve following en bloc esophagectomy since 1981 compared to the earlier interval. Patients treated by en bloc esophagectomy had a significantly greater survival than they did following standard esophagectomy at all time intervals after 6 months. There was no difference in hospital mortality or complications between the two operations. Further evidence for the value of the new staging system was shown by the significant difference in survival curves between those with favorable versus unfavorable staging and treated by en bloc esophagectomy. Among all cases resected between 1981 and 1984, 18-month survival in W1 stage was 67% compared to 35% for W2 disease. Survival with N0 disease was 58% versus 43% for N1 stage and 21% for N2 stage. The favorable survival rates after en bloc resection in those with limited (less than W2N2) disease support the concept of selecting patients for curative surgery based on preoperative and operative staging. Preoperative radiation therapy caused a significant decline in patient survival at 6 and 12 months and has been abandoned.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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