“Imagine if you could interview a family about their health, enter the information into a PDA, and sync the data wirelessly to a database in an office miles away, ready for real-time analysis – all while sitting in the middle of one of Africa’s largest slums where homes are made of mud and open sewage lines the walkways. Or imagine if you could deliver health alerts with text messages to tribal chiefs across rural Africa who do not have Internet access but do own a $20 mobile phone. And that same chief could send a text message to report a suspect case of a dangerous infectious disease to health authorities using the same $20 phone. “
-Anant Shah, Center for Disease Control
In his article in the Yale Journal of Public Health, Anant Shah puts into perspective the benefits of using mobile technology in healthcare. As an employee of the CDC, he focuses on two programs in Kenya that are currently being employed by his organization; but, as we now know, there are many similar programs being implemented all around the world. Many of these programs focus on 4 different sectors of mobile technology: surveillance, outbreak updates and monitoring, training, and spreading messages about healthcare to the general public.
In the past 8 weeks, I have explored 4 initiatives that involve one or all of these concepts. The first initiative that I highlighted, Project Masiluleke, focuses on sending out mass messages concerning HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also provides training for officials to interpret at home HIV testing as well as to become supporters on the HIV Hotline. Voxiva, based here in the United States, provides a means of data collection and allows users to subscribe to alerts about their health and factors that may affect it. The Empower Foundation in Thailand works to promote the health of sex workers by utilizing SMS in order to inform the sex worker population of dangers in the community as well as to monitor their lifestyles and health. Lastly, the Murdoch Institute’s Centre for Adolescent Health incorporates mobile technology into their mental healthcare by tracking symptoms and feelings through a mobile device.
These examples are just four of the vast number of programs that have been implemented in various corners of the world. Mobile technology is an example of how healthcare is advancing with globalization. As technology moves forward, the manners in which it can be implemented do as well. In this case, a few years ago, nobody would ever have thought that a mobile device or PDA would be an important source for healthcare information, in both developed and developing countries. Now, many NGO’s use mobile devices as their sole means of data collection and communication. As has been demonstrated over the past quarter, this technology has served a multitude of different purposes, ranging from providing information to obtaining information and everything in between,
As amazing as this new technology is, it is always important to remember its drawbacks. First of all, many of the mobile technology programs revolve around this idea that mobile technology is easier to use because it does not require people taking care of their health problems face to face with a doctor. For example, it is argued that in some parts of Africa, people do not get tested for HIV because of the stigma attached to seeing the doctor in the clinic. Although the mobile technology promotes testing, it does not erase the larger problem: the stigma attached to this disease that is so rampant in those nations. True, these technologies may help us get around the problem of stigma, but are we really solving anything in the long run if we are not working to change the mindset?
In addition, many programs that utilize these mobile technologies diminish face-to-face care with an actual doctor. I have said this repeatedly before, but I think it is so important for people to obtain care from a real person. The relationship that develops between a doctor and a patient is irreplaceable. There are many places that do not have doctors, so these mobile programs are definitely a step up. But they should be seen as a stepping-stone towards a working clinic, not a replacement for one.
Although mHealth does have its downfalls, it is a great example of how globalization and information technology are being applied to public health. The fact that this new use for this technology has sprung up so quickly and helped so many already is promising. We live in an era of change, and I cannot wait to see what improvements will be made to the world of global public health in the future.
Source:
http://www.cdc.gov/news/2007/03/images/mobiletech.pdf