The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained and successfully supervised to collect data using mobile phones i...

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Main Authors: Ijumba Petrida, Chopra Mickey, Doherty Tanya, Singh Yages, Solomon Wesley, Tomlinson Mark, Tsai Alexander C, Jackson Debra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2009-12-01
Series:BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/9/51
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author Ijumba Petrida
Chopra Mickey
Doherty Tanya
Singh Yages
Solomon Wesley
Tomlinson Mark
Tsai Alexander C
Jackson Debra
author_facet Ijumba Petrida
Chopra Mickey
Doherty Tanya
Singh Yages
Solomon Wesley
Tomlinson Mark
Tsai Alexander C
Jackson Debra
author_sort Ijumba Petrida
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained and successfully supervised to collect data using mobile phones in a large baseline survey</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A web-based system was developed to allow electronic surveys or questionnaires to be designed on a word processor, sent to, and conducted on standard entry level mobile phones.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The web-based interface permitted comprehensive daily real-time supervision of CHW performance, with no data loss. The system permitted the early detection of data fabrication in combination with real-time quality control and data collector supervision.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The benefits of mobile technology, combined with the improvement that mobile phones offer over PDA's in terms of data loss and uploading difficulties, make mobile phones a feasible method of data collection that needs to be further explored.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-6bb68dbd7ac04a2c90bd72f4938498eb2022-12-21T23:18:04ZengBMCBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making1472-69472009-12-01915110.1186/1472-6947-9-51The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South AfricaIjumba PetridaChopra MickeyDoherty TanyaSingh YagesSolomon WesleyTomlinson MarkTsai Alexander CJackson Debra<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained and successfully supervised to collect data using mobile phones in a large baseline survey</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A web-based system was developed to allow electronic surveys or questionnaires to be designed on a word processor, sent to, and conducted on standard entry level mobile phones.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The web-based interface permitted comprehensive daily real-time supervision of CHW performance, with no data loss. The system permitted the early detection of data fabrication in combination with real-time quality control and data collector supervision.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The benefits of mobile technology, combined with the improvement that mobile phones offer over PDA's in terms of data loss and uploading difficulties, make mobile phones a feasible method of data collection that needs to be further explored.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/9/51
spellingShingle Ijumba Petrida
Chopra Mickey
Doherty Tanya
Singh Yages
Solomon Wesley
Tomlinson Mark
Tsai Alexander C
Jackson Debra
The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
title The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
title_full The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
title_fullStr The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
title_short The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
title_sort use of mobile phones as a data collection tool a report from a household survey in south africa
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/9/51
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