Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34667871›Full record

ArticleLearning health systems2021

Mobilizing health district management teams through digital tools: Lessons from the District.Team initiative in Benin and Guinea using an action research methodology.

Basile Keugoung, Kéfilath Olatoyossi Akankè Bello, Tamba Mina Millimouno, Sidikiba Sidibé, Jean Paul Dossou, Alexandre Delamou, Antoine Legrand, Pierre Massat, Nimer Ortuno Gutierrez, Bruno Meessen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Learning health systems, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–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

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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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.

Basile KeugoungHealth Service Delivery Community of Practice Yaounde Cameroon.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4603-2580
Kéfilath Olatoyossi Akankè BelloCentre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie Cotonou Benin.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6081-4178
Tamba Mina MillimounoCentre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah Forécariah Guinea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4628-1296
Sidikiba SidibéCentre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah Forécariah Guinea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7905-9042
Jean Paul DossouCentre de Recherche en Reproduction Humaine et en Démographie Cotonou Benin.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1681-2604
Alexandre DelamouCentre National de Formation et de Recherche en Santé Rurale de Maferinyah Forécariah Guinea.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9397-7106
Antoine LegrandBlue Square Brussels Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3895-6166
Pierre MassatMavromatika Antwerp Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7768-930X
Nimer Ortuno GutierrezHealth Research Unit Action Damien Brussels Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4209-0927
Bruno MeessenCollective Horizon Lier Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0359-8621

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImproving capacities of health systems to quickly respond to emerging health issues, requires a health information system (HIS) that facilitates evidence-informed decision-making at the operational level. In many sub-Saharan African countries, HIS are mostly designed to feed decision-making purposes at the central level with limited feedback and capabilities to take action from data at the operational level. This article presents the case of an eHealth innovation designed to capacitate health district management teams (HDMTs) through participatory evidence production and peer-to-peer exchange.

methodsWe used an action research design to develop the eHealth initiative called "District.Team," a web-based and facilitated platform targeting HDMTs that was tested in Benin and Guinea from January 2016 to September 2017. On District.Team, rounds of knowledge sharing processes were organized into cycles of five steps. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess the participation of HDMTs and identify enablers and barriers of using District.Team.

resultsParticipation of HDMTs in District.Team varied between cycles and steps. In Benin, 79% to 94% of HDMTs filled in the online questionnaire per cycle compared to 61% to 100% in Guinea per cycle. In Benin, 26% to 41% of HDMTs shared a commentary on the results published on the platform while 21% to 47% participated in the online discussion forum. In Guinea, only 3% to 8% of HDMTs shared a commentary on the results published on the platform while 8% to 74% participated in the online discussion forum. Five groups of factors affected the participation: characteristics of the digital tools, the quality of the facilitation, profile of participants, shared content and data, and finally support from health authorities.

conclusionDistrict.Team has shown that knowledge management platforms and processes valuing horizontal knowledge sharing among peers at the decentralized level of health systems are feasible in limited resource settings.

Indexed as

action researchBenincommunity of practiceGuineahealth districtmobilization

Identifiers

PMID34667871
PMCPMC8512739

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LicenceCC BY
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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.