Mobile phone support for rural health workers in Nepal through 'celemedicine'. 2013

Jpanna Morrison, and Naba Raj Shrestha, and Bruce Hayes, and Mark Zimmerman
Nick Simons Institute, Sanepa, Lalitpur, Nepal.

Globally, there is a shortage of health workers in rural areas. Effective health systems depend on having sufficient, accessible health workers with the right skills. In countries like Nepal, highly skilled health workers often prefer to work overseas or in urban centres, and therefore, in the short term, it may be pragmatic to focus on ensuring support and skills development of mid level or paramedical health workers. Information technology has the potential to support these health workers. We describe a pilot intervention undertaken in Gulmi District, whereby all mid level health workers in the district have been provided with a free phone number to call three General Practitioner Doctors (GPs) in the District Hospital. The intervention aims to increase appropriate referral, and increase connectivity between the District centre and peripheral health facilities. We hope that our intervention will provide support to rural health workers, and, if implemented as part of a package of interventions, may increase retention. We present some initial findings from discussions with health workers and analysis of call-log data, and describe our next phase evaluation and possible scale-up.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009390 Nepal Country located in southern Asia, between China and India. The capital is Kathmandu. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
D010865 Pilot Projects Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D002983 Clinical Competence The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care. Clinical Skills,Competence, Clinical,Clinical Competency,Clinical Skill,Competency, Clinical,Skill, Clinical,Skills, Clinical,Clinical Competencies,Competencies, Clinical
D003150 Community Health Workers Persons trained to assist professional health personnel in communicating with residents in the community concerning needs and availability of health services. Barefoot Doctors,Community Health Aides,Village Health Worker,Family Planning Personnel,Family Planning Personnel Characteristics,Village Health Workers,Aide, Community Health,Aides, Community Health,Barefoot Doctor,Community Health Aide,Community Health Worker,Doctor, Barefoot,Doctors, Barefoot,Health Aide, Community,Health Aides, Community,Health Worker, Community,Health Worker, Village,Health Workers, Community,Health Workers, Village,Personnel, Family Planning,Planning Personnel, Family,Worker, Community Health,Worker, Village Health,Workers, Community Health,Workers, Village Health
D003695 Delivery of Health Care The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population. Delivery of Dental Care,Health Care,Health Care Delivery,Health Care Systems,Community-Based Distribution,Contraceptive Distribution,Delivery of Healthcare,Dental Care Delivery,Distribution, Non-Clinical,Distribution, Nonclinical,Distributional Activities,Healthcare,Healthcare Delivery,Healthcare Systems,Non-Clinical Distribution,Nonclinical Distribution,Activities, Distributional,Activity, Distributional,Care, Health,Community Based Distribution,Community-Based Distributions,Contraceptive Distributions,Deliveries, Healthcare,Delivery, Dental Care,Delivery, Health Care,Delivery, Healthcare,Distribution, Community-Based,Distribution, Contraceptive,Distribution, Non Clinical,Distributional Activity,Distributions, Community-Based,Distributions, Contraceptive,Distributions, Non-Clinical,Distributions, Nonclinical,Health Care System,Healthcare Deliveries,Healthcare System,Non Clinical Distribution,Non-Clinical Distributions,Nonclinical Distributions,System, Health Care,System, Healthcare,Systems, Health Care,Systems, Healthcare
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000078329 Workforce The number of people working or available for work or service. Human Resources,Labor Supply,Manpower,Staffing,Womanpower,Human Resource,Labor Supplies,Manpowers,Staffings,Supply, Labor,Womanpowers,Workforces
D017216 Telemedicine Delivery of health services via remote telecommunications. This includes interactive consultative and diagnostic services. Tele-Care,Tele-ICU,Tele-Intensive Care,Tele-Referral,Telecare,Virtual Medicine,Mobile Health,Telehealth,eHealth,mHealth,Health, Mobile,Medicine, Virtual,Tele Care,Tele ICU,Tele Intensive Care,Tele Referral,Tele-Referrals
D019035 Rural Health Services Health services, public or private, in rural areas. The services include the promotion of health and the delivery of health care. Health Services, Rural,Rural Health Center,Services, Rural Health,Center, Rural Health,Centers, Rural Health,Health Center, Rural,Health Centers, Rural,Health Service, Rural,Rural Health Centers,Rural Health Service,Service, Rural Health
D040421 Cell Phone Analog or digital communications device in which the user has a wireless connection from a telephone to a nearby transmitter. It is termed cellular because the service area is divided into multiple "cells." As the user moves from one cell area to another, the call is transferred to the local transmitter. Car Phone,Cell Phones,Cellular Phone,Mobile Phone,Telephone, Cellular,Mobile Telephone,Portable Cellular Phone,Transportable Cellular Phone,Car Phones,Cellular Phone, Portable,Cellular Phone, Transportable,Cellular Phones,Cellular Phones, Portable,Cellular Phones, Transportable,Cellular Telephone,Cellular Telephones,Mobile Phones,Mobile Telephones,Phone, Car,Phone, Cell,Phone, Cellular,Phone, Mobile,Phones, Car,Phones, Cell,Phones, Cellular,Phones, Mobile,Portable Cellular Phones,Telephone, Mobile,Telephones, Cellular,Telephones, Mobile,Transportable Cellular Phones

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