The blog talk-share-learn recently posted a roundup of international development projects that are using mobile phones to deliver information and services. This list highlights what a powerful tool the mobile phone is and how many ways it can be used in low-resource settings. Here are some of the applications used for health care:
Community health workers in Rwanda.
One of IntraHealth International’s projects, the Last Mile Initiative, is designing an Open Source application for data collection and reporting via cell phones and other mobile devices to create a telecommunications-enabled Community Health Services Information System for the health sector in Rwanda.
The automated system itself is designed to rely on a centralized voice-response unit. Community health workers will make phone calls to the central processor and will be prompted to provide service data on a set of pre-determined indicators. The data collected via the voice response system will then be written to the database. Managers will be able to call into the system to retrieve performance data indicating how well their communities are meeting targets or performing as compared to the district, regional and/or national averages. The automated system also will support the broadcasting of updates from district, regional or national authorities that will keep health workers abreast of recent policy changes and disease outbreaks.
This project is just now getting under way. Visit the IntraHealth Informatics blog for updates over the next few months.
The Capacity Project recently published a technical brief on Data-Driven Decision-Making (DDDM) entitled, “Building the Bridge from Human Resources Data to Effective Decisions: Ten Pillars of Successful Data-Driven Decision-Making.” The brief was written by Ummuro Adano, Senior HR Management Systems Adviser for the Capacity Project. Ummuro provides technical assistance in the areas of HR management and leadership, and has worked closely with the HRIS team to develop the DDDM element of our five-step strengthening process. He is also the technical point person for the Project’s Kenya programs.
The technical brief emphasizes that the primary goal of an HRIS should be to promote better use of data to drive effective decision making that positively impacts HR policies and practice. Ummuro presents the following ten pillars to aid HR managers and decision makers in making effective HR policy and management decisions:
We are very excited about the timeliness of this new publication — a third Capacity Project DDDM workshop will be held this month in Rwanda. The HRIS team is currently working with Ummuro and local Project staff to plan and design the workshop.
You can read the full brief here: http://www.capacityproject.org/images/stories/files/techbrief_11.pdf
In accordance with the data collection plan presented to the Rwanda Ministry of Health (MOH) Human Resources for Health Working Group in May, Capacity Project staff created a standardized data collection form for use at the district level. The new Excel form is in French and English, and includes simple, built-in features to ensure data consistency and reduce errors. It is being tested in two districts, where bimonthly updates will be submitted to the MOH and imported into the central system that uses the Project’s iHRIS Manage software. The form is designed to be an easy-to-use data collection method for districts that lack the consistent Internet access required to enter data directly into the central iHRIS Manage web-based interface. Next steps include a system upgrade to iHRIS Manage 2.0, a workshop on data for decision-making and the development of offline tools including a database that can be synchronized with the centralized system to link all districts and ministries to the MOH. With routine data collection and the use of the new form, data will be consistent across all districts and facilities and decision-makers will be able to respond quickly to workforce changes.
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