Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis
BackgroundGaining oversight into the rapidly growing number of mobile health tools for surveillance or outbreak management in Africa has become a challenge. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to map the functional portfolio of mobile health tools used for surveilla...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2021-12-01
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| Series: | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| Online Access: | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e30106 |
| _version_ | 1797735502035550208 |
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| author | Bernard C Silenou John L Z Nyirenda Ahmed Zaghloul Berit Lange Juliane Doerrbecker Karl Schenkel Gérard Krause |
| author_facet | Bernard C Silenou John L Z Nyirenda Ahmed Zaghloul Berit Lange Juliane Doerrbecker Karl Schenkel Gérard Krause |
| author_sort | Bernard C Silenou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundGaining oversight into the rapidly growing number of mobile health tools for surveillance or outbreak management in Africa has become a challenge.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to map the functional portfolio of mobile health tools used for surveillance or outbreak management of communicable diseases in Africa.
MethodsWe conducted a scoping review by combining data from a systematic review of the literature and a telephone survey of experts. We applied the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines by searching for articles published between January 2010 and December 2020. In addition, we used the respondent-driven sampling method and conducted a telephone survey from October 2019 to February 2020 among representatives from national public health institutes from all African countries. We combined the findings and used a hierarchical clustering method to group the tools based on their functionalities (attributes).
ResultsWe identified 30 tools from 1914 publications and 45 responses from 52% (28/54) of African countries. Approximately 13% of the tools (4/30; Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System, Go.Data, CommCare, and District Health Information Software 2) covered 93% (14/15) of the identified attributes. Of the 30 tools, 17 (59%) tools managed health event data, 20 (67%) managed case-based data, and 28 (97%) offered a dashboard. Clustering identified 2 exceptional attributes for outbreak management, namely contact follow-up (offered by 8/30, 27%, of the tools) and transmission network visualization (offered by Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System and Go.Data).
ConclusionsThere is a large range of tools in use; however, most of them do not offer a comprehensive set of attributes, resulting in the need for public health workers having to use multiple tools in parallel. Only 13% (4/30) of the tools cover most of the attributes, including those most relevant for response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as laboratory interface, contact follow-up, and transmission network visualization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e57515b6a8934145a9db4685136ee27d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2369-2960 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| spelling | doaj.art-e57515b6a8934145a9db4685136ee27d2023-08-28T20:04:09ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Public Health and Surveillance2369-29602021-12-01712e3010610.2196/30106Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster AnalysisBernard C Silenouhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4826-0042John L Z Nyirendahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0851-712XAhmed Zaghloulhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7220-0798Berit Langehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9325-9307Juliane Doerrbeckerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5668-7433Karl Schenkelhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5444-9143Gérard Krausehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-3328-8808 BackgroundGaining oversight into the rapidly growing number of mobile health tools for surveillance or outbreak management in Africa has become a challenge. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to map the functional portfolio of mobile health tools used for surveillance or outbreak management of communicable diseases in Africa. MethodsWe conducted a scoping review by combining data from a systematic review of the literature and a telephone survey of experts. We applied the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines by searching for articles published between January 2010 and December 2020. In addition, we used the respondent-driven sampling method and conducted a telephone survey from October 2019 to February 2020 among representatives from national public health institutes from all African countries. We combined the findings and used a hierarchical clustering method to group the tools based on their functionalities (attributes). ResultsWe identified 30 tools from 1914 publications and 45 responses from 52% (28/54) of African countries. Approximately 13% of the tools (4/30; Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System, Go.Data, CommCare, and District Health Information Software 2) covered 93% (14/15) of the identified attributes. Of the 30 tools, 17 (59%) tools managed health event data, 20 (67%) managed case-based data, and 28 (97%) offered a dashboard. Clustering identified 2 exceptional attributes for outbreak management, namely contact follow-up (offered by 8/30, 27%, of the tools) and transmission network visualization (offered by Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and Analysis System and Go.Data). ConclusionsThere is a large range of tools in use; however, most of them do not offer a comprehensive set of attributes, resulting in the need for public health workers having to use multiple tools in parallel. Only 13% (4/30) of the tools cover most of the attributes, including those most relevant for response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as laboratory interface, contact follow-up, and transmission network visualization.https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e30106 |
| spellingShingle | Bernard C Silenou John L Z Nyirenda Ahmed Zaghloul Berit Lange Juliane Doerrbecker Karl Schenkel Gérard Krause Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis JMIR Public Health and Surveillance |
| title | Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis |
| title_full | Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis |
| title_short | Availability and Suitability of Digital Health Tools in Africa for Pandemic Control: Scoping Review and Cluster Analysis |
| title_sort | availability and suitability of digital health tools in africa for pandemic control scoping review and cluster analysis |
| url | https://publichealth.jmir.org/2021/12/e30106 |
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