ArticlemHealth2018
A comparison between paper-based and m-Health tools for collating and reporting clinical cases of lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis in Ethiopia.
Article in mHealth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Mobile Health Strategies to Tackle Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases With Recommendations From Innovative Experiences: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Pooled it
- Managing Lymphedema Induced by Lymphatic Filariasis: Implementing and Improving Care at the Individual and Programmatic Levels.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- Scoping review of health information technology usability methods leveraged in Africa.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2023Article
- The Early Detection and Case Management of Skin Diseases With an mHealth App (eSkinHealth): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Pilot Study in Côte d'Ivoire.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- The potential use of digital health technologies in the African context: a systematic review of evidence from Ethiopia.NPJ digital medicine · 2021Review
- How should Indonesia consider its neglected tropical diseases in the COVID-19 era? Hopes and challenges (Review).Biomedical reports · 2021Review
- Diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Article
- Developing the first national database and map of lymphatic filariasis clinical cases in Bangladesh: Another step closer to the elimination goals.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2019Article
- The challenges for women's health in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons learned from an integrative multistakeholder workshop in Gabon.Journal of global healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLymphatic filariasis (LF) and podoconiosis are disabling diseases, endemic in Ethiopia. The main clinical manifestations include lymphoedema from LF and podoconiosis, and hydrocoele from LF. To ensure access to morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services, data on patient numbers in each implementation unit (IU) is required. House-to-house census is considered the gold standard for determining patient numbers, and data are usually collated and reported using paper-based methods. However, often there are delays in data reaching the regional and central level, which leads to subsequent delays in rolling out and prioritising MMDP services. The increase in mobile phone mHealth tools offers an alternative, potentially more rapid and cost-effective approach.
methodsAs part of an LF and podoconiosis burden assessment conducted in Hawella Tula and Bensa districts in Ethiopia, this study compared the standard paper-based methods with the new MeasureSMS-Morbidity tool for clinical cases data collation and reporting. Health extension workers (HEWs) were trained on both methods. Comparisons were made on patient information; age, gender, location (i.e., kebele), condition, severity of condition and acute attacks. Data were analysed for trends, including the differences in ranking the villages in each district based on the highest to lowest number of cases. In addition, financial and human resource requirements were compared.
resultsIn total, 59 HEWs (19 from Hawella Tula; 40 from Bensa) collated and reported a similar number of cases by paper-based (n=2,377) and SMS (n=2,372) methods. Significant correlations were found between the two methods for all cases and lymphoedema cases in both districts, and for hydrocoele cases in Bensa district only. The total cost of paper-based reporting was 13.7% more expensive than SMS reporting due to costs associated with data collection and entry.
conclusionsThe rank correlation showed the same villages would be prioritised for delivery of MMDP services, with time and cost-savings observed using SMS reporting, suggesting it is an effective and efficient alternative tool to help facilitate care to those who need it most.
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