Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34082696›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2021

Validity of using mobile phone surveys to evaluate community health worker program in Mali.

Xiaomeng Chen, Diwakar Mohan, Abdoulaye Maïga, Emily Frost, Djeneba Coulibaly, Luay Basil, Birahim Yaguemar Gueye, Mariam Traore Guindo, Assa Sidibé Keita, Haoua Dembelé Keita and 1 more

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Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

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3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Xiaomeng ChenDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. chenxm@jhu.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-9620-7361
Diwakar MohanDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Abdoulaye MaïgaDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Emily FrostDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Djeneba CoulibalyDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Luay BasilCanadian Red Cross, Ottawa, Canada.
Birahim Yaguemar GueyeMalian Red Cross, Bamako, Mali.
Mariam Traore GuindoNational Institute for Research in Public Health (INRSP), Bamako, Mali.
Assa Sidibé KeitaNational Institute for Research in Public Health (INRSP), Bamako, Mali.
Haoua Dembelé KeitaNational Institute for Research in Public Health (INRSP), Bamako, Mali.
Melissa A MarxDepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

Funding

Global Affairs Canada D001627-001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe monitoring and evaluation of public health programs based on traditional face-to-face interviews in hard-to-reach and unstable regions present many challenges. Mobile phone-based methods are considered to be an effective alternative, but the validity of mobile phone-based data for assessing implementation strength has not been sufficiently studied yet. Nested within an evaluation project for an integrated community case management (iCCM) and family planning program in Mali, this study aimed to assess the validity of a mobile phone-based health provider survey to measure the implementation strength of this program.

methodsFrom July to August 2018, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among the community health workers (ASCs) from six rural districts working with the iCCM and family planning program. ASCs were first reached to complete the mobile phone-based survey; within a week, ASCs were visited in their communities to complete the in-person survey. Both surveys used identical implementation strength tools to collect data on program activities related to iCCM and family planning. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each implementation strength indicator collected from the phone-based survey, with the in-person survey as the gold standard. A threshold of ≥ 80% for sensitivity and specificity was considered adequate for evaluation purposes.

resultsOf the 157 ASCs interviewed by mobile phone, 115 (73.2%) were reached in person. Most of the training (2/2 indicators), supervision (2/3), treatment/modern contraceptive supply (9/9), and reporting (3/3) indicators reached the 80% threshold for sensitivity, while only one supervision indicator and one supply indicator reached 80% for specificity. In contrast, most of the stock-out indicators (8/9) reached 80% for specificity, while only two indicators reached the threshold for sensitivity.

conclusionsThe validity of mobile phone-based data was adequate for general training, supervision, and supply indicators for iCCM and family planning. With sufficient mobile phone coverage and reliable mobile network connection, mobile phone-based surveys are useful as an alternative for data collection to assess the implementation strength of general activities in hard-to-reach areas.

Indexed as

Cell PhoneCommunity Health WorkersCase ManagementCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMaliCommunity health workerFamily planningImplementation strengthIntegrated community case managementMaliMobile phonesSensitivitySpecificityValidation

Identifiers

PMID34082696
PMCPMC8176601

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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.