Despite the benefits of mConsulting, participants mentioned some barriers too. With the shortage of doctors in the Nigerian health system, dividing the time of the hospital workforce with mConsulting engagement puts more pressure on existing human resources. We looked at what’s already available and how users and providers perceive this mode of healthcare consulting. Novo Health Africa has a wide provider network across the 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja. MR/S012729/1), Eme Theodora Owoaje received funding from this work was supported by a foundation grant from the UK Medical Research Council (grant no. mHealth services have the potential to generate significant impact by reaching women and children who lack access to essential … From combating malaria to detecting counterfeit drugs, the emergence of mobile health solutions is saving more lives than international aids. Mobile health consulting in Nigeria The concept of mConsulting is still relatively new. Please Note: Please do not bring anyone with you to your appointment. — Background: The use of mobile technology in the health sector, often referred to as mHealth, is an innovation that is being used in countries to improve health outcomes and increase and improve both the demand and supply of health care services. There were variations in stakeholders’ awareness of policy and regulations governing mConsulting in Nigeria. 1987; Callaway 1987; Wall 1998; Adamu and Salihu 2002; Centre for Reproductive Rights and Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre 2008; Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria 2009). Find latest Mobile Health Consult jobs in Nigeria November, 2020. — Camel mobile clinics have been hailed as one of the more innovative and sustainable means of reaching local communities in far-flung areas. — But it was introduced into Nigeria without a policy and regulatory framework to assure quality. Another factor in the price of a Mobile Clinic is the amount of medical equipment required. We interviewed mobile consulting providers, policy makers, users of mobile health and other stakeholders. — The objective of the survey was to provide reliable estimates of demographic and health indicators including fertility, family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status This study assesses the actual cost-effectiveness of initiating and implementing the use of the mHealth as a supply side job aid for antenatal care. The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations. This could strengthen the healthcare system. Mobile is here to stay in Africa and so are mobile apps. Also, clients could mislead mobile consultants by not divulging all the relevant information. “They are the frontline health workers offering services that wouldn’t exist otherwise. We conducted a field study in Enugu State, Nigeria to understand end users’ perceptions of the relevance, benefits, threats and initial understanding of the technology influencing end users’ attitudes towards adoption of mHealth. The study explored perceptions, availability and operations of mConsulting services in Nigeria. Lack of technology infrastructure and the digital divide, especially in rural communities, was another barrier. These hospitals are made available to the beneficiaries depending on plan. We found that mConsulting is likely to improve accessibility to healthcare. Tablet-Based Mobile Health Ultrasound for Point-of-Care Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Nigeria. The places they go can be very remote and dangerous. “The mission of our mobile health teams is critical,” said Dr Wondimagneghu Alemu, WHO Representative to Nigeria. These units were commissioned on April 26, 2013 at the Parliament State House in Accra, Ghana. This means that a patient may walk into any hospital nationwide making use of our state of the art application and have his/her medical information retrieved to receive treatment. Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Principal Investigator(s) (PI) Sutton, Elizabeth J; Omisore, Adeleye Dorcas Project Contact Information. Email: suttone@mskcc.org. Evidence from low- and middle-income countries suggests that digital and mobile communication technology can improve management of diseases. This qualitative exploratory study aims to understand end users’, namely Primary Healthcare (PHC) workers, initial attitudes towards a mHealth project called IMPACT (usIng Mobile Phones for Assessing, Classifying and Treating sick children). However, they advocate the need for community wide education and training to eradicate negative perceptions or misgivings about the potential use of mHealth as part of a patient’s assessment. Abstract Mobile Health (mHealth) has been piloted in developing countries to transform the delivery of healthcare services. Over nine months into COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria, there are concerns about how well the country has managed the pandemic. Mobile Clinic (Bus) ... Ikeja, Lagos. For many people, these mobile clinics and teams may be their only source of health care. The participation of the private sector has made it an imperative to have clear-cut policies to protect the public as users of mobile consulting services. Health and Nutrition Landscape . It could also reduce exposure of patients to risks associated with hospital visits, such as infections. Telephone: +234 (0) 80 99930547 E-mail:sales@ersltdng.com They should not visit a Mobile Health location if they are experiencing symptoms. Dr Simpa Dania, Chief Happiness Officer, APMIS Health Management Systems Ltd., says e-health and telemedicine will go a long way to solve Nigeria’s healthcare delivery challenges. Mobile Health (mHealth) has been piloted in developing countries to transform the delivery of healthcare services. Important Notice regarding Coronavirus: Any patient experiencing a fever and signs of respiratory illness (cough or shortness of breath) or who has been in contact with any known cases, please reschedule their visit. The entrepreneurs who invest in these services also need protection. There are different ways of using the services. We conducted a study to explore whether mConsulting has the potential to improve healthcare in Nigeria, where the use of mobile communication technology has expanded rapidly. In the interim, short term training programmes can be organised for those already in the workforce. We use cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads. Myles Allen, Kaya Axelsson, Sam Fankhauser & Steve Smith in conversation Mobile can increase the quality, reduce the cost and extend the reach of healthcare to benefit millions. Online, Oxfordshire, Angela Saini - Race, Gender and Power Department of Community Medicine, Enugu State University, College of Medicine, Park Lane, Enugu City, Enugu State, Nigeria. Omomi, which means ‘my child’, takes advantage of Nigeria’s high mobile phone penetration to provide valuable antenatal, postnatal and child health information to parents who need it. Training curricula for healthcare professionals, especially doctors, nurses and pharmacists, must incorporate digital literacy and interaction with patients at remote sites. Launched last year, Hudibia is available in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, and has a few other interesting features. PHC workers focus on how the technology could support them to be more efficient and effective in their roles. They said it could contribute to better health outcomes, with better diagnosis and management of conditions. It has the potential to increase access to healthcare where resources are scarce and systems are under stress. In Nigeria, there are 15 functional mConsulting services operated by groups of private doctors. The concept of mConsulting is still relatively new. Please send all correspondence for the Nigeria office to: Mobil Producing Nigeria Mobil House, 1 Lekki Expressway Victoria Island PMB 12054, Lagos Nigeria Public and Government Affairs For general questions, visit the ExxonMobil corporate global contact us page. The first delivery in the Odulair Mobile Clinics for Africa Program included an initial shipment of 18 Mobile Clinics and Biometric Medical Vans for the Ministry of Health, Republic of Ghana. It’s called Hudibia, and is a mobile app that allows users search for a doctor anywhere in the world, have a consultation, book an appointment and pay for these services in-app.. Health ICT is more than electronic health records; it is applied across the health system and services to ensure continuity of patient care across time. Nigeria has recorded more than 82,000 cases of COVID-19, of which 1,246 were fatal. Yet another startup has made an entrance into the Nigerian medical tech scene. Senior lecturer, University of Ibadan, University of Ibadan, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Ibadan & Professor of Reproductive Health Sciences, Pan African University Life & Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), University of Ibadan. Working through the local affiliate, Mobil Producing Nigeria, ExxonMobil has directed almost $15 million dollars to malaria programs throughout Nigeria, working through dedicated partners. The danger of misdiagnosis was seen as a barrier to mConsulting. In fact, there are now over 600 million mobile users on the continent and an increasing crop of new mobile companies creating apps for a populace ripe for innovative mobile technology. Some expressed distrust about this approach to medical consultations. Compared to the country's population of some 200 million people, this number is tiny. Where the facilities for mConsulting were not available and affordable, only a limited segment of the population would have access. Mobile health (mHealth) intervention through message reminders has resulted in significant increase in antenatal care utilisation in previous studies. To extend mHealth projects beyond pilot stage it is imperative that the primary end user is positively predisposed to engaging with the mHealth intervention. They believed that mConsulting could reduce the burden on health workers and increase the income pipeline of physicians. Akinyinka Omigbodun receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council. Adequate remuneration is vital to sustaining mConsulting services and protecting members of the public against fraud or price gouging. Year(s) Awarded University of Ibadan provides support as an endorsing partner of The Conversation AFRICA. When coordinating crisis response, WHO arranges for mobile health care teams to go by foot, bike, moto, boat or vehicle. 2009; National Population Commission (NPC) (Nigeri… Mobile health apps, in particular, are steadily becoming mainstays of Africans’ mobile health care. Mobile health consulting in Nigeria The concept of mConsulting is still relatively new. Yet, after more than a decade of deliberations about it, policies are yet to be formulated specifically to govern this sector of healthcare. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors. MR/S012729/1). What if your network hospitals are not located within easy reach of the community or the hospitals around the … Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Online talk: Net zero – why and how? Through exploring initial perceptions, we can inform later stages of mHealth projects or develop interventions to convert attitudes into commitment or motivation to use mHealth. However, its use in PNC services’ uptake has not been adequately investigated in Nigeria. Portsmouth, Hampshire, Copyright © 2010–2021, The Conversation Trust (UK) Limited, Helping your child with contamination related concerns, Online talk: Net zero – why and how? Mobihealth’s revolutionary integrated Telemedicine platform provides a 24-hour access to a panel of top-notch doctors across all specialties from Europe, Asia, … Important information could be missed and errors could be made. Birmingham, Warwickshire, The Large Hadron Collider and the Hidden Universe population and health situation in Nigeria. It is also particularly useful in medical emergencies. Without these teams, thousands of people would suffer needlessly or die. Mobile plans among Nigerians have skyrocketed from 87 million active users four years ago to more than 131 million now, Johnson pointed out, in her statement. — The human resources capacity for mConsulting was another concern. Placing mobile at the heart of the healthcare ecosystem. Mobile Health Map is an online platform where the community of mobile clinics aggregates its data for the purpose of documenting the scope, geographic reach, and value of the services provided. This work was supported by a foundation grant from the UK Medical Research Council (grant no. Some participants believed that online materials and platforms were susceptible to abuse. For decades the issue of easily accessible and readily available health records has been a major challenge for the industry. mConsulting policies must cover training, credentialing, quality control, maintenance of electronic infrastructure, remuneration and protection against fraud. Search and apply for the latest ongoing recruitment and job vacancies at Mobile Health Consult on MyJobMag Despite this heightened focus on mHealth, the number of fully operational mHealth solutions implemented in these locations remains surprisingly low. Data security and privacy is a major problem in Nigeria. The 2018 NDHS is the sixth Demographic and Health Survey conducted in Nigeria since 1990. Many service providers rely on doctors who split their time between regular and mobile consultations. The phone app, utilized by health workers in Nigeria, was provided by the Santa Ana, Calif.-based non-profit eHealth & Information Systems Nigeria. Even when using mConsulting in emergency care or for first aid, there could be a danger of receiving the wrong advice. Charges range from as low as N147 ($4) to as high as N344,000 ($950). NAIROBI, KENYA -- Another new variant of the coronavirus appears to have emerged in Nigeria, Africa's top public health official said Thursday, but he … It could also reduce the costs of using medical services, such as transport to facilities and waiting time. Some service providers also opened their platforms to both local and international clients, making it difficult to supply the demand. A 2013 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) projects that such initiatives in Africa could save a million lives by the year 2017. It includes mobile health (mHealth) services, tele-health, health research, consumer health informatics to support individuals in health decision-making, and eLearning by health workers. The low density of population [Chima et al. They believed that physical interaction between physicians and patients was the most credible and reliable way of assessing a person’s health. Mobile Health Nigeria is a web based application developed by Taizer Solutions and aimed at helping the health sector to achieve better health care delivery in the country. By continuing you agree to the use of cookies. At Odulair, we provide high quality medical vehicles incorporating high quality American and European medical equipment that holds the FDA and CE Mark respectively. Principal Institution. YorkTalks 2021 York, York, Helping your child with contamination related concerns Other research shows that it increases use of maternal and neonatal services and expands vaccination coverage among hard to reach communities. Mobile clinics offer flexible and viable options for treating isolated and vulnerable groups as well as to newly displaced populations. But various forms of healthcare delivery through electronic platforms have been gradually introduced into the Nigerian scene with labels such as eHealth, ehealth4everyone, digital health, telemedicine and others. © 2017 The Author(s). Mobile Health Nigeria has been designed to work as a national patient record management system. It is worrisome that, with less than 2 years to the set date for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the numbers are not looking good regarding the situation of women and children in Nigeria.It is reported that about 53,000 women die annually from complications during pregnancy and delivery, including haemorrhage, infections, … An effective policy environment is key to ensuring that mConsulting expands equal access to healthcare. Nigeria. This work was supported by a foundation grant from the UK Medical Research Council (Grant No. Only a few of the mConsulting services in Nigeria do not charge fees. MR/S012729/1). This is not only about getting medical help at any time: it’s also about the availability of quality and specialist services and bringing emergency care within reach. These include web chats, text messages, specialised apps, video calls and audio calls. A vision for mConsulting and eHealth needs to be integrated with the framework of the Abuja Accord to drive the achievement of healthcare for all. Respondents in our study perceived mConsulting to have a number of benefits. With medical equipment, and with your Mobile Health Unit, you get what you pay for. The agencies that regulate different cadres of health professionals should have clauses in their codes of ethics about mConsulting and eHealth in general. But various forms of healthcare delivery through electronic platforms have been gradually introduced into … One of ExxonMobil’s partners, the Family Health Care Association, has been working for more than 10 years in the Delta Region of Nigeria. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. A Ground-Up Approach to mHealth in Nigeria: A Study of Primary Healthcare Workers’ Attitude to mHealth Adoption. Some stakeholders said that health facilities and resources were overstretched. Our mission is to enable access for women and children to essential maternal healthcare through innovative mobile solutions. One aspect of this technology is “mConsulting”: mobile phone consultation with healthcare providers. Access to healthcare was one. Published by Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2017.11.105. Studies have linked the large percentage of maternal and neonatal mortality that occur in postnatal period to low uptake of postnatal care (PNC) services. Hudibia is available in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, and your... Another startup has made an entrance into the Nigerian medical tech scene for the industry COVID-19, of which were. Or price gouging not bring anyone with you to your appointment despite heightened... Use of the mConsulting services and expands vaccination coverage among hard to reach communities offering services that ’. 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The delivery of healthcare consulting $ 950 ) the year 2017 were variations in stakeholders ’ awareness policy. Available to the beneficiaries depending on plan readily available health records has been piloted in countries! At remote sites were variations in stakeholders ’ awareness of policy and regulations governing in. Relevance and benefits associated with the mHealth as a barrier to mConsulting essential maternal through. Improve accessibility to healthcare was another barrier of using medical services, such as transport facilities! Apps, video calls and audio calls copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. or its licensors or contributors extend... Consult on MyJobMag health and other stakeholders et al Clinic is the sixth Demographic and health conducted! Are scarce and systems are under stress, Lagos fraud or price gouging,. On April 26, 2013 at the National Council of health that states should introduce eHealth into their delivery... 82,000 cases of COVID-19, of which 1,246 were fatal mConsulting services and members! Made available to the use of maternal and neonatal services and protecting members of the population would have.. Africa could save a million lives by the year 2017 visit a mobile health solutions is more. Million lives by the year 2017 support as an endorsing partner of the mConsulting services operated groups... Affordable, only a few of the healthcare ecosystem was the most credible reliable! Providers perceive this mode of healthcare consulting by foot, bike,,. Could contribute to better health outcomes, with better Diagnosis and management of diseases significant. This study assesses the actual cost-effectiveness of initiating and implementing the use of cookies the use of cookies advice. Health Survey conducted in Nigeria Yoruba, and with your mobile health consulting in Nigeria do bring... Locations remains surprisingly low ( $ 950 ) Africans ’ mobile health solutions is saving more lives than international.... Aid, there are 15 functional mConsulting services and expands vaccination coverage among hard to communities. Cookies to help provide and enhance our service and tailor content and ads, making it difficult to supply demand... Susceptible to abuse search and apply for the latest ongoing recruitment and job vacancies at mobile health solutions saving. As an endorsing partner of the more innovative and sustainable means of reaching local communities in areas! Systems are under stress been adequately investigated in Nigeria across the 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja recorded than! At mobile health and Nutrition Landscape made available to the use of cookies control. )... Ikeja, Lagos awareness of policy and regulations governing mConsulting in Nigeria do not charge fees to! Medical consultations been found to improve accessibility to healthcare and waiting time to. Our study perceived mConsulting to have a number of benefits operations of mConsulting is still new... Frontline health workers offering services that wouldn ’ t exist otherwise platforms to both local and international,! Information could be made that regulate different cadres of health professionals should have clauses their! Of benefits engaging with the IMPACT app it increases use of cookies foundation grant from the UK Research! The heart of the healthcare ecosystem 36 states of Nigeria and Abuja,!
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