Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37936957›Full record

ArticleDigital health

First results from the lessons learnt from the deployment of the Med Safety App for reporting adverse drug reactions in Ghana.

Seth Kwaku Seaneke, Delese Mimi Darko, Edwin Nkansah, Abena Asamoa-Amoakohene, Adela Ashie, Jeremiah Sampson Ewudzie, Phil Tregunno, Marie-Eve Raguenaud, Corinne S Merle, Branwen J Hennig and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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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

11 authors.

Seth Kwaku SeanekeFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Delese Mimi DarkoFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Edwin NkansahFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Abena Asamoa-AmoakoheneFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Adela AshieFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Jeremiah Sampson EwudzieFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.
Phil TregunnoSafety and Surveillance Group, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, London, UK.
Marie-Eve RaguenaudSpecial Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.
Corinne S MerleSpecial Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.
Branwen J HennigSpecial Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4127-8386
George Tsey SabblahFood and Drugs Authority, Accra, Ghana.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1785-796X

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The use of mobile phone technology for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in pharmacovigilance is relatively new.The objective of the study was to explore challenges and facilitators for the use of the Med Safety App for reporting ADRs in Ghana. A comparative evaluation of ADR reports received through the app and the standard paper-based form was also conducted. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a purposive sampling technique. The study population was persons who had downloaded the Med Safety App launched in Ghana 18 months before the study. Results: Of the 350 participants, 121 provided answers to the questionnaire sent as a Google form, representing a response rate of 34.6%.Ninety-five (78.5%) of the participants were healthcare professionals, and the remaining were patients. Seventy-five (64.7%) of the participants were using the app after initial installation because they thought it had helpful features. However, only 33 (27.3%) participants used the app to report ADRs, and of these, seven (21.2%) participants indicated that they would continue to use the app because it was easier than the other means of reporting ADRs. Most of the respondents, 109 (94%), indicated that they would recommend the app to someone else. There were some differences between the reports received through the app and between the paper-based Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) 1 form and the app, which warrant further exploration. Conclusion: Most participants indicated that the app is a useful tool and easy to use, and they were satisfied with the features of the app. Given that only just under one-third of participants had used the app to report ADRs, more time and training may be required to fully evaluate the feasibility of the use of the app going forward. The findings will help improve introduction of the app in other countries.

Indexed as

adverse drug reactionchallengesdigital toolfacilitatorslessons learntMed Safety App

Identifiers

PMID37936957
PMCPMC10627026

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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.