Exploring the Information and ICT Skills of Health Professionals in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Koivu, Annariina; Mavengere, Nicholas B.; Ruohonen, Mikko; Hederman, Lucy; Grimson, Jane

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54687-2_15

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Organisational and environmental challenges were the most common issues found to impede RHIS data use in the included studies, described by over half (62%, n = 34) of articles. Of these challenges, the majority were related to resource constraints, such as human and capital shortages, which hindered all steps of the data process (Koivu et al, 2016; Tiwari et al, 2016; Ahsan et al, 2017; Nicol et al, 2017; Askar, Ardakani and Majdzade, 2017; Radin et al, 2017; Nemser et al, 2018; Pinto et al, 2018). For instance, at the information needs stage, Pinchoff et al (2016) found that it was not always possible to confirm diagnoses such as malaria, due to limited laboratory capacity in Zambia (Pinchoff et al, 2016).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the challenges associated with the use of data from routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Hoxha

Hung

Irwin

et al. 2020

HIM J

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Background: Routine health information systems (RHISs) are crucial to informing decision-making at all levels of the health system. However, the use of RHIS data in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited due to concerns regarding quality, accuracy, timeliness, completeness and representativeness. Objective: This study systematically reviewed technical, behavioural and organisational/environmental challenges that hinder the use of RHIS data in LMICs and strategies implemented to overcome these challenges. Method: Four electronic databases were searched for studies describing challenges associated with the use of RHIS data and/or strategies implemented to circumvent these challenges in LMICs. Identified articles were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Results: Sixty studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review, 55 of which described challenges in using RHIS data and 20 of which focused on strategies to address these challenges. Identified challenges and strategies were organised by their technical, behavioural and organisational/environmental determinants and by the core steps of the data process. Organisational/environmental challenges were the most commonly reported barriers to data use, while technical challenges were the most commonly addressed with strategies. Conclusion: Despite the known benefits of RHIS data for health system strengthening, numerous challenges continue to impede their use in practice. Implications: Additional research is needed to identify effective strategies for addressing the determinants of RHIS use, particularly given the disconnect identified between the type of challenge most commonly described in the literature and the type of challenge most commonly targeted for interventions.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the challenges associated with the use of data from routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Hoxha

Hung

Irwin

et al. 2020

HIM J

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“…The PCs and network equipment at the doctor’s office, as well as the computer platforms of hospital information systems, are examples of end-user systems. Medical doctors, in particular, who run their own small practice, rarely have the expertise or time to professionally manage their IT systems in order to safeguard them against malware attacks [ 191 ]. They use their computer systems, on the other hand, not only to access their patients’ health records, but also for other applications such as billing systems and Internet browsers.…”

Section: Ehealth: Security and Privacy Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

eHealth: A Survey of Architectures, Developments in mHealth, Security Concerns and Solutions

Alenoghena

Onumanyi

Ohize

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed in part to a recent upsurge in the study and development of eHealth systems. Although it is almost impossible to cover all aspects of eHealth in a single discussion, three critical areas have gained traction. These include the need for acceptable eHealth architectures, the development of mobile health (mHealth) technologies, and the need to address eHealth system security concerns. Existing survey articles lack a synthesis of the most recent advancements in the development of architectures, mHealth solutions, and innovative security measures, which are essential components of effective eHealth systems. Consequently, the present article aims at providing an encompassing survey of these three aspects towards the development of successful and efficient eHealth systems. Firstly, we discuss the most recent innovations in eHealth architectures, such as blockchain-, Internet of Things (IoT)-, and cloud-based architectures, focusing on their respective benefits and drawbacks while also providing an overview of how they might be implemented and used. Concerning mHealth and security, we focus on key developments in both areas while discussing other critical topics of importance for eHealth systems. We close with a discussion of the important research challenges and potential future directions as they pertain to architecture, mHealth, and security concerns. This survey gives a comprehensive overview, including the merits and limitations of several possible technologies for the development of eHealth systems. This endeavor offers researchers and developers with a quick snapshot of the information necessary during the design and decision-making phases of the eHealth system development life cycle. Furthermore, we conclude that building a unified architecture for eHealth systems would require combining several existing designs. It also points out that there are still a number of problems to be solved, so more research and investment are needed to develop and deploy functional eHealth systems.

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“…Studies from LMIC revealed that the lack of qualified health professionals is a chronic problem [32]; [33]. A scoping review and a qualitative case study exploring health professionals' ICTs skills in South Africa suggests that healthcare professionals struggle daily to keep up with technical developments in an ever-changing health environment [9].…”

Section: Factors Influencing the Integration And Use Of Ehealthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…eHealth services cannot tap their full potential if they do not fit the intended users' capabilities, and expectations. Thus, studies from LMICs suggest that education and training of health staff and professionals are essential to improve ICT skills [9]; [34]. Previous studies have examined the role of health workers in eHealth in Africa and LMIC but have focused on the availability of human resources rather than on their competencies and skills.…”

Section: Factors Influencing the Integration And Use Of Ehealthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past decades, eHealth tools and applications have emerged as a potential "game changer" enabling accessible, affordable and effective healthcare for all [8]. It is believed that eHealth tools and services are necessary for achieving the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) [3], because they can improve individuals' health-related knowledge and behavior [9] and facilitate exchanging and sharing of information between health care provider and healthcare recipient [10]. Melchiorre et al [11] added that eHealth applications can improve coordination and continuity of care between health professionals by enhancing opportunities for digital data sharing, communication and consultation at a distance which reduces healthcare utilization costs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Obstacles of eHealth Capacity Building and Innovation Promotion Initiative in African Countries

Asah

Kaasbøll

Anthun

2022

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics

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eHealth applications and tools have the potential to improve coordination, knowledge, and information sharing between health professionals as well as continuity of care. One of the main obstacles hindering its full integration and use, particularly in the healthcare sector in developing and low and middle-income countries is the lack of qualified staff and healthcare personnel. To explore obstacles that hinder capacity and innovation promotion initiatives, a survey was conducted among BETTEReHEALTH partners. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 37 organizations. Although there are different buckets of capacity-building and innovation promotion activities going on, the findings showed very few targeting policymakers and eHealth specialists. The findings found that obstacles to capacity building and innovation promotion include lack of finance, poor infrastructure, poor leadership, and governance, and these obstacles are context or region specific. Findings from our study concur with those from previous research on the need to identify practical solutions and simple interventions to address eHealth obstacles to capacity building in developing countries. As measures to mitigate these obstacles, our study proposed the need for adequate policies, strong political commitment, the development of academic modules to be integrated into existing educational programs, and the creation of more in-country and on-site capacity-building activities. While this study contributes to the discourse on eHealth capacity-building and innovation promotion initiatives among healthcare and public health professionals, the study has a limitation as data was collected only from BETTEReHEALTH partners.

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Exploring the Information and ICT Skills of Health Professionals in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Cited by 6 publications

References 24 publications

Understanding the challenges associated with the use of data from routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Understanding the challenges associated with the use of data from routine health information systems in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

eHealth: A Survey of Architectures, Developments in mHealth, Security Concerns and Solutions

Obstacles of eHealth Capacity Building and Innovation Promotion Initiative in African Countries

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