Publication: Smartphones for community health in rural Cambodia: A feasibility study [version 1; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
Issued Date
2018-01-01
Resource Type
ISSN
2398502X
Other identifier(s)
2-s2.0-85055227793
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Wellcome Open Research. Vol.3, (2018)
Suggested Citation
Pengby Ngor, Lisa J. White, Jeremy Chalk, Yoel Lubell, Cecelia Favede, Phaik Yeong Cheah, Chea Nguon, Po Ly, Richard J. Maude, Siv Sovannaroth, Nicholas P. Day, Susanna Dunachie Smartphones for community health in rural Cambodia: A feasibility study [version 1; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]. Wellcome Open Research. Vol.3, (2018). doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.13751.1 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/45329
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Authors
Journal Issue
Thesis
Title
Smartphones for community health in rural Cambodia: A feasibility study [version 1; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
Abstract
© 2018 Ngor P et al. Background: Village Malaria Workers (VMWs) are lay people trained to provide a valuable role in frontline testing and treatment of malaria in rural villages in Cambodia. Emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria highlights the essential role of such VMWs in surveillance and early treatment of malaria. Smartphone technology offers huge potential to support VMWs in isolated and resource-poor settings. Methods: We investigated the feasibility of issuing established VMWs with a smartphone, bespoke Android application and solar charger to support their role. 27 VMWs in Kampong Cham and Kratie provinces participated. Results: 26/27 of the smartphones deployed were working well at study completion twelve months later. Interviews with VMWs using quantitative and qualitative methods revealed pride, ease of use and reports of faster communication with the smartphone. VMWs also expressed a strong wish to help people presenting with non-malarial fever, for which further potential supportive smartphone applications are increasingly available. Conclusions: As a result of this pilot study, two smartphone based reporting systems for malaria have been developed at the Cambodian National Malaria Center, and the programme is now being extended nationwide. The full code for the smartphone application is made available to other researchers and healthcare providers with this article. Smartphones represent a feasible platform for developing the VMW role to include other health conditions, thus maintaining the relevance of these important community health workers.