SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR)
Abstract Background It is a challenge in low-resource settings to ensure the availability of complete, timely disease surveillance information. Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to enhance surveillance data transmission. Methods The Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Health a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Conflict and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13031-018-0177-6 |
| _version_ | 1818291654111526912 |
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| author | Ziad El-Khatib Maya Shah Samuel N Zallappa Pierre Nabeth José Guerra Casimir T Manengu Michel Yao Aline Philibert Lazare Massina Claes-Philip Staiger Raphael Mbailao Jean-Pierre Kouli Hippolyte Mboma Geraldine Duc Dago Inagbe Alpha Boubaca Barry Thierry Dumont Philippe Cavailler Michel Quere Brian Willett Souheil Reaiche Hervé de Ribaucourt Bruce Reeder |
| author_facet | Ziad El-Khatib Maya Shah Samuel N Zallappa Pierre Nabeth José Guerra Casimir T Manengu Michel Yao Aline Philibert Lazare Massina Claes-Philip Staiger Raphael Mbailao Jean-Pierre Kouli Hippolyte Mboma Geraldine Duc Dago Inagbe Alpha Boubaca Barry Thierry Dumont Philippe Cavailler Michel Quere Brian Willett Souheil Reaiche Hervé de Ribaucourt Bruce Reeder |
| author_sort | Ziad El-Khatib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background It is a challenge in low-resource settings to ensure the availability of complete, timely disease surveillance information. Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to enhance surveillance data transmission. Methods The Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a 15-week pilot project to test a disease surveillance app, Argus, for 20 conditions in 21 health centers in Mambéré Kadéi district (MK 2016). Results were compared to the usual paper-based surveillance in MK the year prior (MK 2015) and simultaneously in an adjacent health district, Nana-Mambére (NM 2016). Wilcoxon rank sum and Kaplan-Meier analyses compared report completeness and timeliness; the cost of the app, and users’ perceptions of its usability were assessed. Results Two hundred seventy-one weekly reports sent by app identified 3403 cases and 63 deaths; 15 alerts identified 28 cases and 4 deaths. Median completeness (IQR) for MK 2016, 81% (81–86%), was significantly higher than in MK 2015 (31% (24–36%)), and NM 2016 (52% (48–57)) (p < 0.01). Median timeliness (IQR) for MK 2016, 50% (39–57%) was also higher than in MK 2015, 19% (19–24%), and NM 2016 29% (24–36%) (p < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis showed a significant progressive reduction in the time taken to transmit reports over the 15-week period (p < 0.01). Users ranked the app’s usability as greater than 4/5 on all dimensions. The total cost of the 15-week pilot project was US$40,575. It is estimated that to maintain the app in the 21 health facilities of MK will cost approximately US$18,800 in communication fees per year. Conclusions The app-based data transmission system more than doubled the completeness and timeliness of disease surveillance reports. This simple, low-cost intervention may permit the early detection of disease outbreaks in similar low-resource settings elsewhere. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:47:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3d91c2635a834dfb9c6e7227172e4ec2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-1505 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:47:30Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conflict and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3d91c2635a834dfb9c6e7227172e4ec22022-12-22T00:02:09ZengBMCConflict and Health1752-15052018-10-0112111110.1186/s13031-018-0177-6SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR)Ziad El-Khatib0Maya Shah1Samuel N Zallappa2Pierre Nabeth3José Guerra4Casimir T Manengu5Michel Yao6Aline Philibert7Lazare Massina8Claes-Philip Staiger9Raphael Mbailao10Jean-Pierre Kouli11Hippolyte Mboma12Geraldine Duc13Dago Inagbe14Alpha Boubaca Barry15Thierry Dumont16Philippe Cavailler17Michel Quere18Brian Willett19Souheil Reaiche20Hervé de Ribaucourt21Bruce Reeder22Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Ministry of HealthCountry Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR (CPI), WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), WHOCountry Health Emergency Preparedness & IHR (CPI), WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE), WHOWorld Health Organization (WHO)World Health Organization (WHO)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Ministry of HealthMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Ministry of HealthMédecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)Abstract Background It is a challenge in low-resource settings to ensure the availability of complete, timely disease surveillance information. Smartphone applications (apps) have the potential to enhance surveillance data transmission. Methods The Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Health and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) conducted a 15-week pilot project to test a disease surveillance app, Argus, for 20 conditions in 21 health centers in Mambéré Kadéi district (MK 2016). Results were compared to the usual paper-based surveillance in MK the year prior (MK 2015) and simultaneously in an adjacent health district, Nana-Mambére (NM 2016). Wilcoxon rank sum and Kaplan-Meier analyses compared report completeness and timeliness; the cost of the app, and users’ perceptions of its usability were assessed. Results Two hundred seventy-one weekly reports sent by app identified 3403 cases and 63 deaths; 15 alerts identified 28 cases and 4 deaths. Median completeness (IQR) for MK 2016, 81% (81–86%), was significantly higher than in MK 2015 (31% (24–36%)), and NM 2016 (52% (48–57)) (p < 0.01). Median timeliness (IQR) for MK 2016, 50% (39–57%) was also higher than in MK 2015, 19% (19–24%), and NM 2016 29% (24–36%) (p < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis showed a significant progressive reduction in the time taken to transmit reports over the 15-week period (p < 0.01). Users ranked the app’s usability as greater than 4/5 on all dimensions. The total cost of the 15-week pilot project was US$40,575. It is estimated that to maintain the app in the 21 health facilities of MK will cost approximately US$18,800 in communication fees per year. Conclusions The app-based data transmission system more than doubled the completeness and timeliness of disease surveillance reports. This simple, low-cost intervention may permit the early detection of disease outbreaks in similar low-resource settings elsewhere.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13031-018-0177-6SurveillancemHealthLimited resource settingsInnovation and health |
| spellingShingle | Ziad El-Khatib Maya Shah Samuel N Zallappa Pierre Nabeth José Guerra Casimir T Manengu Michel Yao Aline Philibert Lazare Massina Claes-Philip Staiger Raphael Mbailao Jean-Pierre Kouli Hippolyte Mboma Geraldine Duc Dago Inagbe Alpha Boubaca Barry Thierry Dumont Philippe Cavailler Michel Quere Brian Willett Souheil Reaiche Hervé de Ribaucourt Bruce Reeder SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) Conflict and Health Surveillance mHealth Limited resource settings Innovation and health |
| title | SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) |
| title_full | SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) |
| title_fullStr | SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) |
| title_full_unstemmed | SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) |
| title_short | SMS-based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited-resource setting – evaluation of a 15-week pilot program in Central African Republic (CAR) |
| title_sort | sms based smartphone application for disease surveillance has doubled completeness and timeliness in a limited resource setting evaluation of a 15 week pilot program in central african republic car |
| topic | Surveillance mHealth Limited resource settings Innovation and health |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13031-018-0177-6 |
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