ArticlePloS one2013
Meeting community health worker needs for maternal health care service delivery using appropriate mobile technologies in Ethiopia.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 68 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
68 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effect of short message service reminders in improving optimal antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and postnatal care in low-and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2024Pooled it
- Birth and death notification via mobile devices: a mixed methods systematic review.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Does short message service improve focused antenatal care visit and skilled birth attendance? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Reproductive health · 2018Pooled it
- Effectiveness of mHealth Interventions Targeting Health Care Workers to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2016Pooled it
- Health Worker mHealth Utilization: A Systematic Review.Computers, informatics, nursing : CIN · 2016Pooled it
- Evidence on feasibility and effective use of mHealth strategies by frontline health workers in developing countries: systematic review.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2015Pooled it
- Mobile phone-based mHealth approaches for public health surveillance in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2014Pooled it
- Evaluation of Electronic and Paper-Pen Data Capturing Tools for Data Quality in a Public Health Survey in a Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, Ethiopia: Randomized Controlled Crossover Health Care Information Technology Evaluation.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2019Trial
- Experiences in running a complex electronic data capture system using mobile phones in a large-scale population trial in southern Nepal.Global health action · 2017Trial
- Effectiveness of the electronic Community Health Information System on maternal continuum of care completion in rural East Shewa Zone, Eastern Ethiopia: A prospective controlled quasi-experimental study.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- A User-Centered Approach to Achieving High Degree of Digital Health Technology Utilization for Community HIV Case Management and Data Collection in Ethiopia.Global health, science and practice · 2026Article
- Article
- Use of Gamified Digital Tools in Daily Tasks of Health Care Workers: Scoping Review.JMIR serious games · 2025Review
- A scoping review of digital technologies in antenatal care: recent progress and applications of digital technologies.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Article
- The Impact of the Use of e-Partogram on Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes: A Scoping Review.Cureus · 2024Article
- Intention to Use an Electronic Community Health Information System Among Health Extension Workers in Rural Northwest Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 Model.JMIR human factors · 2024Article
- Use of mHealth in promoting maternal and child health in "BIMARU" states of India "A health system strengthening strategy": Systematic literature review.PLOS digital health · 2024Review
- Willingness to use remote patient monitoring among cardiovascular patients in a resource-limited setting: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in digital health · 2024Article
- Spatial variation and predictors of incomplete pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) uptake among children aged 12-35 months in Ethiopia: spatial and multilevel analyses.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMobile health applications are complex interventions that essentially require changes to the behavior of health care professionals who will use them and changes to systems or processes in delivery of care. Our aim has been to meet the technical needs of Health Extension Workers (HEWs) and midwives for maternal health using appropriate mobile technologies tools.
methodsWe have developed and evaluated a set of appropriate smartphone health applications using open source components, including a local language adapted data collection tool, health worker and manager user-friendly dashboard analytics and maternal-newborn protocols. This is an eighteen month follow-up of an ongoing observational research study in the northern of Ethiopia involving two districts, twenty HEWs, and twelve midwives.
resultsMost health workers rapidly learned how to use and became comfortable with the touch screen devices so only limited technical support was needed. Unrestricted use of smartphones generated a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among the health workers. Ownership of the phones was a strong motivator for the health workers, who recognised the value and usefulness of the devices, so took care to look after them. A low level of smartphones breakage (8.3%,3 from 36) and loss (2.7%) were reported. Each health worker made an average of 160 mins of voice calls and downloaded 27Mb of data per month, however, we found very low usage of short message service (less than 3 per month).
conclusionsAlthough it is too early to show a direct link between mobile technologies and health outcomes, mobile technologies allow health managers to more quickly and reliably have access to data which can help identify where there issues in the service delivery. Achieving a strong sense of ownership and empowerment among health workers is a prerequisite for a successful introduction of any mobile health program.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.