There is mounting evidence to show that community health workers (CHWs) play a positive role in improving population health by connecting people to information, resources, and services. However, barriers faced by CHWs include not being able to access information quickly and in a language tailored to the communities they serve. Mobile health (mHealth) shows promise of bridging this gap. Although there are a number of studies published on mHealth interventions, there is a need to synthesize the literature specific to mHealth and CHWs globally. Therefore, the primary goals of this review are to identify and describe over ten years of studies on the use, effectiveness, and potential of mHealth involving CHWs. Findings provide evidence-based strategies for designing and implementing mHealth tools for and with CHWs. We used criteria and methodology for scoping reviews established by the Joanna Briggs Institute as well as PRISMA protocols. We searched scholarly databases for peer-reviewed articles published between 2007 and 2018. The initial search yielded 207 published articles; after applying inclusion criteria, the sample totaled 64. While research about mHealth use among CHWs is still emerging, we found out that large-scale, longitudinal, and clinical studies are lacking. The existing evidence indicates that interventions, which include both CHWs and mHealth tools, are effective. Challenges include the scarcity of culturally relevant mHealth interventions, lack of a consistent methodology to assess mHealth outcomes, the need for effective training for CHWs to adopt mHealth tools, and improved communication within health care teams working with CHWs.

There is significant interest amongst neuroscientists in sharing neuroscience data and analytical tools. The exchange of neuroscience data and tools between groups affords the opportunity to differently re-analyze previously collected data, encourage new neuroscience interpretations and foster otherwise uninitiated collaborations, and provide a framework for the further development of theoretically based models of brain function. Data sharing will ultimately reduce experimental and analytical error. Many small Internet accessible database initiatives have been developed and specialized analytical software and modeling tools are distributed within different fields of neuroscience. However, in addition large-scale international collaborations are required which involve new mechanisms of coordination and funding. Provided sufficient government support is given to such international initiatives, sharing of neuroscience data and tools can play a pivotal role in human brain research and lead to innovations in neuroscience, informatics and treatment of brain disorders. These innovations will enable application of theoretical modeling techniques to enhance our understanding of the integrative aspects of neuroscience. This article, authored by a multinational working group on neuroinformatics established by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), articulates some of the challenges and lessons learned to date in efforts to achieve international collaborative neuroscience.

Constrained access to the Internet and new communication technologies is commonly associated with social disparities related to income, education, immigration status, age, and geography. Policymakers in many sectors—and particularly, in education—have placed their bets on increased technology access having the potential to mitigate broader social disparities. In the context of a national digital equity initiative, this study examines how parents and children of low-income Latino families incorporate new technologies into their everyday lives. Through a comparison of three demographically similar communities where discounted broadband is being offered to low-income families with school-age children, we take a bottom-up, communication-centered perspective on a top-down technology policy. Our ecological approach considers the intersection of macro- and meso-level factors that influence Latino families’ perceptions of technology and that shape their consequent adoption and integration decisions.

No abstract

In the spring of 2006, anti-immigrant legislation triggered historic immigrant rights protests in cities throughout the United States. In places like California, protest of immigrant-targeting legislation is not new. A hostile political context in California during the mid-1990s stimulated naturalization rates, voter registration, and turnout among Latinos therein. The spring 2006 immigrant rights protests provide a unique research opportunity to further examine the relationship between a contentious political climate and Latino immigrants' decision to naturalize. Earlier work highlights the role of Latino civic organizations in naturalizing and mobilizing co-ethnics to vote. This article considers an additional key variable: the ethnic media. Unpublished data from citizenship application workshops sponsored by a national Latino civic organization and a pilot survey of workshop participants were used to examine patterns of participation in the protests and use of Spanish-language media for political information among Latino naturalizers. Although this article examines an unfolding issue, it may hold implications for the future of Latino politics. A link between the recent immigrant protests and the decision to naturalize by Latino immigrants may suggest that a cohort of newly enfranchised Latinos will have high rates of participation.