2019 |
Menezes et al (9)
|
Use of a Mobile Phone App to Treat Depression Comorbid With Hypertension or Diabetes: A Pilot Study in Brazil and Peru |
Experimental study |
Patients with signs of depression |
Exploring the potential efficacy of a mobile health intervention to help people with depressive symptoms and comorbidity hypertension or diabetes |
The mobile application proved to be viable to help treat patients with comorbid depressive symptoms in low- and middle-income countries. |
An important reduction in depressive symptoms of diabetic and hypertensive patients. |
2019 |
Rajbhandari et al(10)
|
Epilepsy field workers, a smartphone application and telephone telemedicine: Safe and effective epilepsy care in rural Nepal. |
Experimental study |
Patients with signs and symptoms of epilepsy |
Proposing a new model of care, from the development of a smartphone application for diagnosis of epilepsy from seizures |
The application provided considerable assistance in the diagnosis of epilepsy, as well as in the interruption and reduction of seizures caused by epilepsy, receiving the preference of patients to this service offered, avoiding displacement scans to medical services for diagnosis. |
Agility in diagnosis; Significant reduction in patient displacements for access to medical services. |
2017 |
Carroll et al(11)
|
Who Uses Mobile Phone Health Apps and Does Use Matter? The Secondary Data Analytics Approach. |
Almost experimental, cross-sectional, data association study |
Application users |
Describing the social and demographic characteristics associated with the use of health applications in a recent representative sample from the USA; assessing attitudes and behaviors of users of health applications for health promotion; assessing the association between the use of health-related applications and the recommended guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity, informing populations more and less likely to use health applications. |
Despite the lack of evidence of clinical efficacy and integration with the health system and the need for formal assessment and review, and potential threats to safety and privacy, applications can improve users’ health, and provide information about populations more and less likely to use health applications to guide clinical interventions through commercial and public health programs. |
Valuable progress in the health of application users. |
2017 |
Uddin et al(12)
|
Impact of mobile phone-based technology to improve health, population and nutrition services in Rural Bangladesh: a study protocol |
Experimental study |
Women from a rural Bangladeshi community |
Developing, testing and assessing the impact of a mobile health strategy mechanism on improving reproductive health and family planning, maternal, neonatal and child health, integrated child disease management, vaccination program and other primary health services of communities in rural Bangladesh. |
Cell phone-based technology has the potential to improve primary health care services by speeding up access to information and strategies for the care of maternal and child health services in low-income countries. |
Significant improvement in the coverage of primary health care services in a country of extreme poverty, reducing the search for medium-complexity health |
2013 |
Blank et al(13)
|
Quality of prenatal and maternal care: bridging the know-do gap” (QUALMAT study): an elecronic clinical decision support system for rural Sub-Saharan Africa) |
Randomized controlled experimental study |
Health professionals in rural areas |
Improving the performance and motivation of rural health workers and the quality of care services developed at the primary level of maternal health care in Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania. |
The computerized system of clinical decision support was introduced in rural centers where health professionals of different educational levels work, due to the underdeveloped scenario of the country, with significant improvement in its performance. |
Enrichment of the quality of health care in primary care promoted by professionals working in underdeveloped places. |
2013 |
Mitchell et al(14)
|
Using electronic technology to improve clinical care - results from a before-after cluster trial to assess assessment and classification of sick children according to Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) protocol in Tanzania) |
Experimental study |
Health professionals |
Estimating the impact of electronic technology on adherence to integrated care protocols for prevalent diseases in childhood, compared to current paper-based protocols in Tanzania |
The study demonstrated the benefit of technology in providing a proven standard of care in a rural and semi-urban area of Tanzania, a country of extreme poverty, based on the quality of care of the professionals who used it. |
Qualification of clinical care of professionals working in low-income countries. |
2012 |
Mitchell et al(15)
|
Perceived improvement integrated management of childhood illness implementation through use of mobile technology: qualitative evidence from a pilot study in Tanzania) |
Experience report |
Health care providers and caregivers of the Integrated Electronic Management of Childhood Diseases |
Assessing caregivers’ and health professionals’ perception about treatment of childhood diseases when compared to conventional paper forms through qualitative interviews. |
Health care providers’ perception of receiving more information made the use of digital personal assistants, expanding their knowledge about treatment of childhood diseases in a country of extreme poverty. |
Agility in access to information about the treatment to be performed, offered more quickly, especially in low-income places. |
2012 |
Pellegrini et al(16)
|
A smartphone supported weight loss program: design of the ENGAGED randomized controlled trial |
Experimental study |
People with obesity |
Examining the feasibility and effectiveness of a smartphone-supported weight loss program. |
There was a significant reduction in obesity in patients who used the technology. |
Change of habits and behaviors of users through the goals of the application. |
2011 |
Florez-Arango et al(17)
|
Performance factors of mobile rich media job aids for community health workers |
Randomized controlled experimental study |
Community health worker |
Studying and analyzing the possible performance benefits of community health agents using out-of-care clinical guidelines implemented as interactive rich media work aids on small-format mobile platforms. |
Widespread acceptance of this resource by community health agents with lower educational levels and serving populations with very poor literacy indicating encouraging prospects for mobile health technologies in general and the use of clinical guidelines on mobile phones in particular |
Improvement of health care due to the ease of access to information of professionals who serve a population with low level of education in underdeveloped places. |