Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions of the Benefits and Challenges of a Teleconsultation Service in the Amansie-West District of Ghana

Abstract

Teleconsultation services have the potential to improve quality of care in rural communities. However, practical problems in the operation of the service have to be taken seriously as they threaten sustainability of the intervention. Adequate training in phone-based clinical reporting appears to be essential. Teleconsultation staff should be compensated for additional workload through a reduction of other work-related tasks.

Qualitative Assessment of the Feasibility, Usability, and Acceptability of a Mobile Client Data App for Community-Based Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Care in Rural Ghana

“…Thus, while data uploads were manageable for CHNs working at the community health posts, they were generally not manageable at health centers. Similar issues emerged within the context of a telemedicine program in Ghana's Amansi-West district, in which providers assumed a greater workload without a reduction in other tasks or increased personnel [63]. Our participants suggested training less skilled data staff or community health volunteers to assist with data entry, particularly for older providers who were sometimes less proficient with mobile apps [64].…”

A realist review of mobile phone-based health interventions for non-communicable disease management in sub-Saharan Africa

“…However, the configuration of mHealth interventions differed considerably across settings, concerning involved actors and the mechanisms through which they facilitated access to care. In 12 studies, mHealth interventions essentially consisted of mobile phone-based consultations between two healthcare providers, where a specialized provider could be reached by another provider, thus indirectly improving patient access to specialized care [ 36 , 38 – 43 , 45 , 47 – 49 , 52 ]. In 8 studies, mHealth interventions connected a patient to a provider, thus directly facilitating patient access to (professional) care [ 20 , 37 , 46 , 50 , 51 , 53 – 55 ].…”

“…Participating patients or providers usually required only a few days of training on how to use the mobile technology (such as the mobile phone and its application software) and the consultation procedures [ 41 , 43 , 46 – 48 , 50 , 55 ]. An important feature of most mHealth interventions was that interactions between participants usually took place on the basis of standardized information exchange protocols [ 36 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 43 , 45 – 47 , 49 , 52 , 54 ]. These protocols helped to establish the purpose of the consultations and contributed to systematically ascertaining symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment.…”

Telemedicine Diffusion in a Developing Country: A Case of Ghana

“…With teleconsultation the amount of risk involved in receiving healthcare in rural areas can be reduced for the patient. A Teleconsultation service was introduced in the Amansie-West district in 2010 [10] it linked communication between the district hospital and the local teleconsultation clinic. The service was placed there to assess the healthcare professionals perceptions of the benefits and challenges of servicing this area, and to identify possible areas of improvement [10].…”

“…A Teleconsultation service was introduced in the Amansie-West district in 2010 [10] it linked communication between the district hospital and the local teleconsultation clinic. The service was placed there to assess the healthcare professionals perceptions of the benefits and challenges of servicing this area, and to identify possible areas of improvement [10]. The trial received positive feedback from medical staff and was described a dramatic improvement to the quality of care, which in turn reduced the need to refer patients to the district hospital.…”