health: hype or hope? cell-life on mhealth 101 dr peter benjamin peter@cell-life.org skype id:...

Health: Hype or Hope?Cell-Life on mHealth 101

Dr Peter Benjaminpeter@cell-life.orgSkype ID: peterbenjamin#PeterB_CellLife

www.cell-life.org.za

What is Cell-Life is?

• Not-for-profit making tech & services accessible to improve health & meet social challenges

• Started 2010, UCT & CPUT

• Cape Town, SA

• 10 African countries (mainly SA)

• 25 staff (mainly techies)

• Open Source

© Cell-Life 2011

What do we do?• Applying eHealth (especially mHealth):

1. Social & behaviour change communications

2. Primary health system strengthening

• We are one of the few mHealth organisations active in • Technical development• Proof-of-concept pilots at sites• Larger health system implementations• Developing business models• Research and • Policy

• Lots of things ‘work’ as pilot, issue is SCALE

Intelligent ARV Dispensing, Stock Management, and Reporting

Data collection, Monitoring & Evaluation using mobile phones

Mass HIV and health messaging using mobile phones

© Cell-Life 2011

Contributing to the mHealth evidence base

Main Services

Intelligent Dispensing of Antiretroviral Treatment

• Software solution designed to support pharmacists dispense ARV & related drugs

• Improved reporting, data quality, stock control

• 300+ sites (92 main clinics, 211 down-referral)

• 350,000 patients receive ARVs

© Cell-Life 2011

iDART in action

Mobile Data Collection

© Cell-Life 2011

• Dept of Health cellphone rollout• 12,000 phones• Data collection for all 4,332 health facilities• First application: monitoring of HCT• Project awarded to Cell-Life and HISP• Initial rollout in 950 facilities June 2012 • Full rollout from Sept - Nov 2012

• Infrastructure for clinical mHealth

Clinical data collection in SA public sector

© Cell-Life 2011

• Basic phones 25% mobiles in SA• Voice, SMS, Text menus (USSD)

• “Feature phones” 65% mobiles in SA

• Basic internet connection (GPRS)

• WAP / Mobi-sites, MXit, Java Apps

• Smartphones 10% UP• Apps (Est 13,000 iPhone health Apps)

Tools for mass mobilecommunication

© Cell-Life 2011

Messaging for prevention & testing

Soul City, SANAC, Brothers for Life, RTC, Just positive

Mass information for positive living

TAC Adherence Clubs, Siyayinqoba

Linking patients & clinics ECHO, Kidz +ve, DTHF, RHRU

Counselling National AIDS Helpline

Building capacity of HIV-related organisations

CARIS, HIVAN, TAC ... – over 100 organisations

Maternal health Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action

Communicate applications

mHealth Research

• SMS to test• RCT 2,400 enrolled. Control; ‘Information’/‘Motivation’; 3 / 10• Stat significant only with 10 ‘Motivational’

• PMTCT (ECHO @ Coronationville Hosp)• RCT 320 mothers (½ test, ½ control). SMS info & reminders.• Msgs help women deal with status, ‘psycho-social’ support. Better

retention @ 10 weeks.• 2 Adherence trials• MXit text counselling (RedChat)

• MXit link with National AIDS Helpline. 55,000 conversations• Good access to youth, anonymity, multiuser

© Cell-Life 2011

© Cell-Life 2010

“These tools don’t get socially interesting

until they get technologically boring”

(Clay Shirky, 2010)

© Cell-Life 2011

• Formal health system inaccessible, inadequate or abusive to many

• mHealth can reduce the barrier to accessing healthcare

• The cellphone can be the first point of contact with the health system

• Like mBanking provide better financial services with users outside banks …

Towards mobile primary care

© Cell-Life 2011

1. Promotive & Preventive2. General health info3. Triage services4. CHW assistance5. Clinical referral6. Treatment support7. Maternal & child health focus8. School-based

Towards primary mHealth

Communicate

• Web based software solution/ Platform that Provides communication and information services through cell phone channels.

• SMS, USSD, WAP, MXIT

NkosiSiyabonga

Ke a lebogaDankie

Thank you

Dr Peter Benjaminpeter@cell-life.orgSkype ID: peterbenjamin@PeterB_CellLife`