A new HIFA project! mHEALTH-INNOVATE: What can we learn from health workers' informal use of mobile phones?

11 March, 2022

Read online: https://www.hifa.org/news/mhealth-innovate-what-can-we-learn-health-work...

I am delighted to announce on behalf of HIFA that we are contributing to a major new research project: mHEALTH-INNOVATE: exploring how healthcare workers' informal and innovative uses of mobile phones are shaping service delivery and governance in LMICs.

The collaboration partners for this project are Makerere University, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, University of Oslo, World Health Organization, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. HIFA is engaged as a subcontractor to provide a channel for multi-stakeholder involvement and discussion around the issues raised, thanks to our wide reach (>20,000 members in 180 countries) and the diversity of our members (health professionals, civil society, policymakers, library and information professionals, publishers...).

Background: Previous research on mHealth has focused largely on formal 'top-down' approaches, but it is increasingly recognised that health workers use mobile phones in informal and innovative ways to support their work. This project will have a focus on health workers' use of messaging apps, but its remit will include other informal uses of mobile phones also. We're interested in all types of health workers, including lay or community health workers and supervisors, at all levels of health care. How do health workers use their mobile phones and informal channels of communication to get clinical information or advice, seek practical advice or support (e.g. access to patient transport), communicate with supervisors or other parts of their organisation, communicate with patients and their families, seek emotional support from their peers?

The 4-year project will start with a systematic review, which will then inform primary research in Uganda followed by governance analysis and deliberative dialogue.

HIFA's first responsibility is to plan an in-depth thematic discussion on the HIFA forums in April/May 2022.

If YOU would like to volunteer to help with this project, please contact me: neil@hifa.org

Contact: Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator, HIFA: neil@hifa.org

Best wishes, Neil

Let's build a future where every person has access to reliable healthcare information and is protected from misinformation - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org

HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is global coordinator of the HIFA global health movement (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages in collaboration with WHO. HIFA brings stakeholders together to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. Twitter: @hifa_org neil@hifa.org