Mobile health for non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature and strategic framework for research.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) approaches for non-communicable disease (NCD) care seem particularly applicable to sub-Saharan Africa given the penetration of mobile phones in the region. The evidence to support its implementation has not been critically reviewed. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, a number of other databases, and grey literature for studies reported between 1992 and 2012 published in English or with an English abstract available. We extracted data using a standard form in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RESULTS: Our search yielded 475 citations of which eleven were reviewed in full after applying exclusion criteria. Five of those studies met the inclusion criteria of using a mobile phone for non-communicable disease care in sub-Saharan Africa. Most studies lacked comparator arms, clinical endpoints, or were of short duration. mHealth for NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa appears feasible for follow-up and retention of patients, can support peer support networks, and uses a variety of mHealth modalities. Whether mHealth is associated with any adverse effect has not been systematically studied. Only a small number of mHealth strategies for NCDs have been studied in sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of mHealth for NCD care in sub-Saharan Africa. We present a framework for cataloging evidence on mHealth strategies that incorporates health system challenges and stages of NCD care. This framework can guide approaches to fill evidence gaps in this area. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42014007527.

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Citation

Published Version (Please cite this version)

10.1186/1744-8603-10-49

Publication Info

Bloomfield, Gerald S, Rajesh Vedanthan, Lavanya Vasudevan, Anne Kithei, Martin Were and Eric J Velazquez (2014). Mobile health for non-communicable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of the literature and strategic framework for research. Global Health, 10. p. 49. 10.1186/1744-8603-10-49 Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15035.

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Scholars@Duke

Bloomfield

Gerald Bloomfield

Associate Professor of Medicine

Gerald Bloomfield, MD, MPH, joined the faculty in Medicine and Global Health after completing his Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship training at Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute. Bloomfield also completed the Duke Global Health Residency/Fellowship Pathway and a Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellowship. He received his medical education, internal medicine residency and Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. Bloomfield leads a longstanding research and capacity building program on cardiovascular global health which includes work in under-resourced communities in the US and a number of low- and middle-income country settings.

Vasudevan

Lavanya Vasudevan

Adjunct Associate Professor of Global Health

Lavanya Vasudevan is an adjunct associate professor at the Global Health Institute at Duke University. Her research focuses on studying the timeliness of vaccinations, identifying vaccination barriers, and understanding the role of misinformation in driving vaccine hesitancy. In addition, she works on developing and evaluating novel interventions, including those that leverage digital health technologies, for health information or service delivery. In her research, Dr. Vasudevan seeks to study and alleviate the complex challenges with vaccination delivery and uptake in low resource settings and in populations experiencing health disparities. In the context of these challenges, Dr. Vasudevan is interested in the use of multidisciplinary collaborations, mixed methods and implementation science frameworks. Dr. Vasudevan completed her doctoral training in molecular biology and genetics at Cornell University and received her Master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Vasudevan is Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners.


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