Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29795626›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Feasibility of Electronic Health Information and Surveillance System (eHISS) for disease symptom monitoring: A case of rural Ghana.

Aliyu Mohammed, Konstantin Franke, Portia Boakye Okyere, Johanna Brinkel, Axel Bonačić Marinovic, Benno Kreuels, Ralf Krumkamp, Julius Fobil, Jürgen May, Ellis Owusu-Dabo

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In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Aliyu MohammedKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
Konstantin FrankeUniversity Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Portia Boakye OkyereKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.
Johanna BrinkelSchool of Public Health (GSPH), Accra, Ghana.
Axel Bonačić MarinovicNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.
Benno KreuelsUniversity Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany.
Ralf KrumkampBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany.
Julius FobilSchool of Public Health (GSPH), Accra, Ghana.
Jürgen MayBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), Hamburg, Germany.
Ellis Owusu-DaboKumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Kumasi, Ghana.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe current surge of mobile phone use in many African countries creates the opportunity to provide caregivers with limited access to the health care system with vital health recommendations. At the same time such communication system can be utilised to collect tempero-spatial data on disease symptoms.

objectiveWe assessed the feasibility of an mHealth system among caregivers with children under-five years, designed as a health information and surveillance tool in a rural district of Ghana.

methodsA mobile phone-based electronic health information and surveillance system was piloted from February to December 2015. Toll-free numbers were provided to 1446 caregivers, which they could call to receive health advice in case their children showed disease symptoms. The system was setup to evaluate the illness of a sick child. Symptoms reported via the system were evaluated and compared to clinician's report after follow-up. Cogency of the reported symptoms was assessed using Cohen's kappa coefficient.

resultsA total of 169 children with disease symptoms were identified based on phone calls from caregivers. The predominant reported symptoms were fever (64%; n = 108), cough (55%; n = 93) and diarrhoea (33%; n = 55). Temporal pattern of symptomatic cases revealed a peak saturation in the month of September, with fever registering the highest number of symptoms observed. Reported symptoms and clinician's report revealed a very good agreement for fever (95%, kappa = 0.89); good for diarrhoea (87%, kappa = 0.73) and moderate for cough (76%, kappa = 0.49).

conclusionThis pilot concept, has demonstrated the practicality of using mobile phones for assessing childhood disease symptoms and encouraging caregivers to seek early treatment for their children if needed. The strategy to use mobile phones in disease surveillance and treatment support is a promising strategy especially for areas with limited access to the health care system.

Indexed as

Health Information SystemsTelemedicineAdultCaregiversCell PhoneChild, PreschoolCoughDiarrheaFeasibility StudiesFemaleFeverGhanaHumansInfantMaleMiddle Aged

Identifiers

PMID29795626
PMCPMC5967752

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