Dear HIFA colleagues,
On behalf of the Project working group I invite you to help publicise the Project. You can do this simply by forwarding the message below to any contacts who may be intersted, including your work colleagues, students and faculty members.
Our work will provide valuable stakeholder input into a policy dialogue at WHO headquarters on 6 June.
With thanks, Neil
mHealth-Innovate: Exploring healthcare workers informal use of personal mobile phones - Research findings and implications for policy and practice
https://www.hifa.org/news/mhealth-innovate-exploring-healthcare-workers-...
Watch the video (9 Minutes): https://zenodo.org/records/15012090
Exploring healthcare workers’ informal use of personal mobile phones
- We know anecdotally that healthcare workers use their own phones to plug gaps in the healthcare system
- This research project aims to explore how they are doing this, the reasons for this, possible benefits and harms, and ways forward
- The mHealth-Innovate research consortium has worked since 2021 on a multi-year project involving:
* A HIFA thematic discussion - published in Oxford Open Digital Health. Glenton C et al. 2023: Using an online community of practice to explore the informal use of mobile phones by health workers
* A qualitative evidence synthesis - published in the Cochrane Library. Glenton C et al. 2024: Healthcare workers’ informal uses of mobile phones and other mobile devices to support their work: a qualitative evidence synthesis
* Two primary research projects in Uganda to explore the issues with health workers and with policymakers (2024) - Publication in progress.
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH AND FINDINGS
Read the summary (12 pages) https://zenodo.org/records/15011500
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE
In 2025 HIFA's role is to review the research findings collectively and discuss the implications for policy and practice.
In the FIRST phase, from now until 21 April, we shall discuss the findings informally. Do the findings resonate with your experience?
Specifically we shall revisit the findings of our 2023 and 2024 papers and invite HIFA members to comment. We shall explore a range of questions that arise from the findings.
In the SECOND phase, from 22 April to 25 May, we shall build on all of the above to look to the future, with a structured thematic discussion to explore strategies for addressing the downsides of informal mobile phone use while retaining the benefits.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION!
If you are not already a member of the HIFA forum, please join us (free): www.hifa.org/joinhifa - all interactions are taking place on the forum.
French, Portuguese and Spanish speakers are invited to join HIFA-French, HIFA-Portuguese and HIFA-Spanish
For more information, see the Health-Innovate project webpage
Are you planning a research project? Learn how HIFA can add value to your research.
THE PARTNERS
The MHEALTH-INNNOVATE project is a partnership between Makerere University, Uganda; the Norwegian Institute of Public Health; Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Oslo, Johns Hopkins University; Health Information for All; and the World Health Organization.
Funded by the Research Council of Norway
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org