On-Cloud Motherhood Clinic: A Healthcare Management Solution for Rural Communities in Developing Countries

Abstract

Background: Modern telecommunication infrastructure enables bridging of the digital divide between rural and urban healthcare services, promoting the provision of suitable medical care and support. Thus far, there has been some positive impacts to applying mobile health (m-Health) solutions, but their full potential in relation to cloud computing has is yet to be realised. It is imperative to develop an innovative approach for addressing the digital divide in a context of developing country.Method: Adopting a design science research approach (DSR), this study describes an innovative m-Health solution utilising cloud computing that enables healthcare professionals and women in rural areas to achieve comprehensive maternal healthcare support. We developed the solution framework through iterative prototyping with stakeholders' participation, and evaluated the design using focus groups. Results:The cloud-based solution was positively evaluated as supporting healthcare professionals and service providers. It was perceived to help provide a virtual presence for evaluating and diagnosing expectant mothers' critical healthcare data, medical history, and in providing necessary service support in a virtual clinic environment. Conclusions:The new application offers benefits to target stakeholders enabling a new practice-based paradigm applicable in other healthcare management. We demonstrated utilities to address target problems as well as the mechanism propositions for meeting the information exchange demand for better realisation of practical needs of the end users.

Integrated Personal Health Record in Indonesia: Design Science Research Study

“…This study follows the DSR guidelines defined by Hevner et al [ 18 ], which are grouped into 3 cycles or phases comprising the relevance cycle (identifying problems and the artifact type), design cycle (developing and evaluating the artifact), and rigor cycle (research contribution and communication; Figure 1 [ 5 ]). These guidelines have been followed by DSR studies in low- and middle-income countries to develop health information systems such as mobile health (mHealth) [ 19 , 21 - 27 ]. The guidelines by Hevner et al [ 18 ], as a necessary element in DSR, are also consistent with the DSR methodology by Peffers et al [ 20 ].…”

Integrated Personal Health Record in Indonesia: Design Science Research Study (Preprint)

“…This study follows the DSR guidelines defined by Hevner et al [18], which are grouped into 3 cycles or phases comprising the relevance cycle (identifying problems and the artifact type), design cycle (developing and evaluating the artifact), and rigor cycle (research contribution and communication; Figure 1 [5]). These guidelines have been followed by DSR studies in lowand middle-income countries to develop health information systems such as mobile health (mHealth) [19,[21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. The guidelines by Hevner et al [18], as a necessary element in DSR, are also consistent with the DSR methodology by Peffers et al [20].…”