J A Blaya1, W Gomez, P Rodriguez, H Fraser. 1. Partners In Health, Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Harvard Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. jblaya@mit.edu
Abstract
SETTING: One hundred and twenty-six public health centers and laboratories in Lima, Peru, without internet. BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that a personal digital assistant (PDA) based system reduces data collection delays and errors for tuberculosis (TB) laboratory results when compared to a paper system. OBJECTIVE: To assess the data collection efficiency of each system and the resources required to develop, implement and transfer the PDA-based system to a resource-poor setting. DESIGN: Time-motion study of data collectors using the PDA-based and paper systems. Cost analysis of developing, implementing and transferring the PDA-based system to a local organization and their redeployment of the system. RESULTS: Work hours spent collecting and processing results decreased by 60% (P < 0.001). Users perceived this decrease to be 70% and had no technical problems they failed to fix. The total cost and time to develop and implement the intervention was US$26092 and 22 weeks. The cost to extend the system to cover nine more districts was $1125 and to implement collecting patient weights was $4107. CONCLUSION: A PDA-based system drastically reduced the effort required to collect TB laboratory results from remote locations. With the framework described, open-source software and local development, organizations in resource-poor settings could reap the benefits of this technology.
SETTING: One hundred and twenty-six public health centers and laboratories in Lima, Peru, without internet. BACKGROUND: We have previously shown that a personal digital assistant (PDA) based system reduces data collection delays and errors for tuberculosis (TB) laboratory results when compared to a paper system. OBJECTIVE: To assess the data collection efficiency of each system and the resources required to develop, implement and transfer the PDA-based system to a resource-poor setting. DESIGN: Time-motion study of data collectors using the PDA-based and paper systems. Cost analysis of developing, implementing and transferring the PDA-based system to a local organization and their redeployment of the system. RESULTS: Work hours spent collecting and processing results decreased by 60% (P < 0.001). Users perceived this decrease to be 70% and had no technical problems they failed to fix. The total cost and time to develop and implement the intervention was US$26092 and 22 weeks. The cost to extend the system to cover nine more districts was $1125 and to implement collecting patient weights was $4107. CONCLUSION: A PDA-based system drastically reduced the effort required to collect TB laboratory results from remote locations. With the framework described, open-source software and local development, organizations in resource-poor settings could reap the benefits of this technology.
Authors: Nathan Mensah; Felix Sukums; Timothy Awine; Andreas Meid; John Williams; Patricia Akweongo; Jens Kaltschmidt; Walter E Haefeli; Antje Blank Journal: Glob Health Action Date: 2015-01-27 Impact factor: 2.640
Authors: Jonathan D King; Joy Buolamwini; Elizabeth A Cromwell; Andrew Panfel; Tesfaye Teferi; Mulat Zerihun; Berhanu Melak; Jessica Watson; Zerihun Tadesse; Danielle Vienneau; Jeremiah Ngondi; Jürg Utzinger; Peter Odermatt; Paul M Emerson Journal: PLoS One Date: 2013-09-16 Impact factor: 3.240