Extending Health Services to Rural Communities

Mobile Phones ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Health Service Providers ◽

Sub Saharan

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed health service delivery (HSD) in developing countries although the benefits are not yet fully understood. This chapter examines the use of ICT for HSD in the Namibian context. To obtain insights into the extent and degree of the current ICT uses, the chapter begins by mapping a HSD landscape for Namibia. The reported ICT use patterns are based on a primary survey of 134 patients and key informant interviews held with 27 health service providers (HSPs) in Khomas and Oshana regions of Namibia. The results from the survey indicate that Namibian patients use diverse range of ICT to access health services including the traditional television and radio, and the more modern mobile phones and computers to a limited extent. HSPs reported the growing use of ICT in various functional areas such as admissions, clinical support, family planning, maternity, and emergency services. The chapter identifies key challenges and policy implications to enhance the uptake of ICT-based health services in Namibia. The relatively high penetration rates of traditional ICT such as televisions and radios coupled with a growing use of mobile phones presents new alternative opportunities for expanding HSD to Namibian patients in remote settings. The chapter will benefit HSP and patients as they decide on affordable technology choices; and policy makers as they design interventions to stimulate the use of ICT in HSD in Namibia. The results provide key insights for other Sub-Saharan African countries contemplating ICT integration in health services.

The Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Health Service Delivery in Namibia

Health Information Systems ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-988-5.ch068 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1074-1089

Author(s):

Meke I. Shivute ◽

Blessing M. Maumbe

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Health Service Providers ◽

Sub Saharan

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed health service delivery (HSD) in developing countries although the benefits are not yet fully understood. This chapter examines the use of ICT for HSD in the Namibian context. To obtain insights into the extent and degree of the current ICT uses, the chapter begins by mapping a HSD landscape for Namibia. The reported ICT use patterns are based on a primary survey of 134 patients and key informant interviews held with 27 health service providers (HSPs) in Khomas and Oshana regions of Namibia. The results from the survey indicate that Namibian patients use diverse range of ICT to access health services including the traditional television and radio, and the more modern mobile phones and computers to a limited extent. HSPs reported the growing use of ICT in various functional areas such as admissions, clinical support, family planning, maternity, and emergency services. The chapter identifies key challenges and policy implications to enhance the uptake of ICT-based health services in Namibia. The relatively high penetration rates of traditional ICT such as televisions and radios coupled with a growing use of mobile phones presents new alternative opportunities for expanding HSD to Namibian patients in remote settings. The chapter will benefit HSP and patients as they decide on affordable technology choices; and policy makers as they design interventions to stimulate the use of ICT in HSD in Namibia. The results provide key insights for other Sub-Saharan African countries contemplating ICT integration in health services.

The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies in Establishing Healthcare Services with a Universal Coverage

E-Health and Telemedicine ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8756-1.ch005 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 77-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Davuthan Günaydin ◽

Hakan Cavlak ◽

GamzeYıldız Şeren ◽

Korhan Arun

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Universal Coverage ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Practices ◽

One of the most important challenges faced by the healthcare system is the organization of healthcare services to cope with the increase in population and aging of citizens. Especially in developing countries, demographic movements of the population, regional disparities, political concerns, and increasing expectations of health services have led to a search for new ways to serve all of the population with healthcare services. With traditional methods, it is not possible to increase the supply of health services because of inadequate infrastructure and shortcomings in quantity and quality of healthcare staff. This new health system called e-health and uses all of the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies that aim to improve public health. In this chapter, the effects of e-health practices on the quality and accessibility of healthcare services are assessed and the extent of e-health practices in Turkey are evaluated.

The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies in Establishing Healthcare Services with a Universal Coverage

International Business ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-9814-7.ch033 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 691-707

Author(s):

Davuthan Günaydin ◽

Hakan Cavlak ◽

GamzeYıldız Şeren ◽

Korhan Arun

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Universal Coverage ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Practices ◽

One of the most important challenges faced by the healthcare system is the organization of healthcare services to cope with the increase in population and aging of citizens. Especially in developing countries, demographic movements of the population, regional disparities, political concerns, and increasing expectations of health services have led to a search for new ways to serve all of the population with healthcare services. With traditional methods, it is not possible to increase the supply of health services because of inadequate infrastructure and shortcomings in quantity and quality of healthcare staff. This new health system called e-health and uses all of the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies that aim to improve public health. In this chapter, the effects of e-health practices on the quality and accessibility of healthcare services are assessed and the extent of e-health practices in Turkey are evaluated.

A Review of eHealth Initiatives: Implications for Improving Health Service Delivery in Nepal

Journal of Nepal Health Research Council ◽

10.33314/jnhrc.v17i3.1787 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 269-77

Author(s):

Ashish KC ◽

Avinash K Sunny ◽

Rajendra Prasad Poudel ◽

Omkar Basnet

Keyword(s):

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Service Delivery ◽

National Level ◽

Health Information System ◽

Health Service Delivery ◽

Monitoring And Surveillance

The aim of this paper is to take stock of the use of information and communication technologies in delivering health services in Nepal and identify bottlenecks in implementation for improving delivery of health services. A descriptive review was conducted from May to September 2016. Data were collected from organizations working on the different thematic areas in health where information and communication technologies was used. Fifteen ongoing eHealth projects were identified in the areas of monitoring and surveillance, electronic health records/electronic medical records, health information system, and telemedicine. Common challenges were addressed, including a lack of funding, infrastructure, electricity and network, and national capacity. Most eHealth projects were not integrated into the national system. Working at a national level to address the challenges, centralizing eHealth projects and developing national policies would ensure to adopt eHealth at a right place and to accelerate eHealth initiatives.Keywords: eHealth; health service delivery;information and communication technologies (ICT); Nepal.

Handbook of Research on Developing Sustainable Value in Economics, Finance, and Marketing - Advances in Finance, Accounting, and Economics ◽

The Importance of Information and Communication Technologies in Establishing Healthcare Services with a Universal Coverage

10.4018/978-1-4666-6635-1.ch026 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 446-462

Author(s):

Davuthan Günaydin ◽

Hakan Cavlak ◽

GamzeYıldız Şeren ◽

Korhan Arun

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Universal Coverage ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Practices ◽

One of the most important challenges faced by the healthcare system is the organization of healthcare services to cope with the increase in population and aging of citizens. Especially in developing countries, demographic movements of the population, regional disparities, political concerns, and increasing expectations of health services have led to a search for new ways to serve all of the population with healthcare services. With traditional methods, it is not possible to increase the supply of health services because of inadequate infrastructure and shortcomings in quantity and quality of healthcare staff. This new health system called e-health and uses all of the possibilities provided by information and communication technologies that aim to improve public health. In this chapter, the effects of e-health practices on the quality and accessibility of healthcare services are assessed and the extent of e-health practices in Turkey are evaluated.

E-Innovation for Sustainable Development of Rural Resources During Global Economic Crisis - Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability ◽

ICT

10.4018/978-1-4666-4550-9.ch003 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 22-34

Author(s):

Julián Briz ◽

José María Duran ◽

Isabel Felipe ◽

Teresa Briz

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Future Research ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Future Research Directions ◽

The University

Agriculture is facing new challenges in rural and urban areas, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may play a significant role. In this chapter, there is a background description of the ICT sector in the interface of urban and rural communities within the framework of agriculture. It describes some case analyses focused in agronomy and social sciences. In agronomy, the focuses are environment, food production, and pollution. In socioeconomics, there is a brief identification of ICT applications such as the collaboration between the university and firms. Considering the heterogeneousness of the analysis, the future research directions include different methods of studies for ICT programs (house of quality, structural organization, and others).

Digital Divide and Rural Communities

Digital Literacy ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1852-7.ch036 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 698-720

Author(s):

John Garofalakis ◽

Andreas Koskeris

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Digital Divide ◽

World Wide ◽

Digital Culture ◽

Wide Spread ◽

Balanced Development ◽

Source Of Information

During the last years, due to the wide spread of World Wide Web (WWW), the Internet has become one of the most valuable and effective communications media and the most inclusive source of information. However, in many cases the difficulties of establishing universal effective access could serve to reinforce current patterns of social exclusion and produce barriers to balanced development instead of supporting it. World widely there is a rising concern over the so-called “digital divide”–a term that refers to the gap existing in the opportunities to access advanced information and communication technologies between geographic areas or by individuals at different socioeconomic levels. The experience shows that specialized initiatives are needed for disadvantaged areas in order to anticipate expansion of current digital divide. This chapter is focusing on the specific instance of digital divide occurring in rural territories, and examines the ways to foster digital culture among citizens, utilizing a specific initiative (the so called “Telecentres”).

Requirements Engineering in the ICT4D Domain

Computer Engineering ◽

10.4018/978-1-61350-456-7.ch201 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 187-200

Author(s):

Kristina Pitula ◽

Daniel Sinnig ◽

Thiruvengadam Radhakrishnan

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Software Development ◽

Requirements Engineering ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Local Population ◽

Social Contexts ◽

The People ◽

Requirements engineering is an important stage in any software development. It is more so in the case of software development for social development projects in rural areas of the developing countries. ICT4D which stands for “Information and Communication Technologies for Development” is gaining more and more attention as computing is more widely affordable. This article is concerned with requirements engineering in the ICT4D domain. In many developing counties, a significant effort is being put into providing people in rural areas with access to digital content and services by using Information and Communication Technologies. Unfortunately most ICT4D projects pursue a top-down development model which is driven by the technology available and not by the very needs and social problems of the people living in rural communities (Frohlich et al., 2009). Existing technologies are often applied in a non-inclusive manner with respect to the local population, without sufficient adaptation or re-invention, and often without regard for user’s needs and their social contexts.

The Need for Community Informatics in Malaysia

Global Information Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-939-7.ch139 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 1932-1937

Author(s):

Jayapragas Gnaniah ◽

Peter Songan ◽

Alvin W. Yeo ◽

Hushairi Zen ◽

Khairuddin Ab. Hamid

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Digital Divide ◽

Community Informatics ◽

The World Bank ◽

Sustainable Human Development ◽

The World ◽

Digital Gap

The Malaysian government, through many initiatives, has seriously looked into reducing and if possible eliminating, the digital divide that exists between the developed urban and the technologically impoverished rural communities. The e-Bario Project, a successful research showcase of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, is one of the leading examples in Malaysia of such an attempt to bridge the digital gap and to achieve sustainable human development through the introduction of information and communication technologies (ICT). According to Harris, Bala, Songan, Khoo and Trang (2001), the World Bank had introduced a systematic approach to the application of ICT to meet the needs and bridge the digital divide of the rural community.