Role of Mobile Technology in Improving the Quality of Healthcare Delivery

Over 90% of South Africans in the Eastern Cape Province rely on government provided health services. The health system suffers from acute shortage of healthcare providers.  Clinicians often rely on outdated and unreliable information to care for patients. Medical and nursing graduates working in rural health facilities are often unable to maintain and expand their professional skills due to inadequate opportunities for mentoring and continuing education, and limited access to current clinical information. This situation has long-term effects on clinical professionals’ diagnostic and therapeutic abilities, and contributes to feelings of isolation and career stagnation. Patients suffer as a result through delayed or unnecessary referrals to specialist clinics, unacceptable negative impact on health status, and avoidable increases in cost. To overcome some of these challenges and provide better healthcare to their patients, 175 nurses and doctors in the Eastern Cape are using the Mobile Health Information System (MHIS) that provides healthcare providers with 3G, commercially available smartphones and tablets pre-loaded with locally relevant, reliable clinical and public health library. A study conducted in 2013 to assess the health outcomes of MHIS showed that accessing health information at the point of care assisted all nurses and 80% doctors in making accurate diagnosis; all nurses and 92% doctors in prescribing the correct treatment; and 96% of nurses and 80% doctors in prescribing the correct dosage. Information provided in the mobile library was used by 97% of nurses and 81% of doctors to provide relevant information and advice to patients regarding their health.