Integrating mHealth applications: Motivation, approach and outcomes

Abstract

mHealth has revolutionized the health care service delivery at all levels of health care system in both developing and developed world. Both at patient level and service provider level, mHealth has become very useful in areas of decision support, data storage, data processing into useful information, information flow and information use just to mention a few. For service providers with multiple service deliveries, there is a challenge in managing well the various mHealth applications across the various program deliveries. Standalone applications on different phones or the same phone poses a number of challenges and complications in management and use of these individual applications for patients across the health system. One solution to such challenges is the use of integrated mHealth solutions. With mHealth integrated application, we can address the challenge of health workers having multiple phones and applications for use in various service deliveries which often target the same audience. Integration also facilitates the continuity of care of patients across different services usually provided by the same health service point. Integration also ensures optimum use of resources thereby redirecting further resources to other needed areas. For optimal results of integration process, it is important to clearly define the problem, outline the intervention in line with the entire health care system and provide for means to mitigate risks. As a rule of thumb, intensive verification, validation and testing of the integrated application is crucial to ensuring an acceptable solution that improves the health care of people. Documenting the processes and learning from the them is important in improving the next possible intervention. This paper discusses the motivation, approach and outcomes of the integration process of mHealth applications.