Abstract
BackgroundMost developing countries, including Uganda, have embraced the use of e-Health and m-Health applications as a means to improve primary healthcare delivery and public health for their populace. In Uganda, the growth in the information and communications technology industry has benefited the rural communities and also created opportunities for new innovations, and their application into healthcare has reported positive results, especially in the areas of disease control and prevention through disease surveillance. However, most are mere proof-of-concepts, only demonstrated in use within a small context and lack sustainability. This study reviews the literature to understand e-Health’s current implementation status within Uganda and documents the barriers and opportunities to sustainable e-Health intervention programmes in Uganda.MethodsA structured literature review of e-Health in Uganda was undertaken between May and December 2015 and was complemented with hand searching and a document review of grey literature in the form of policy documents and reports obtained online or from the Ministry of Health’s Resource Centre.ResultsThe searches identified a total of 293 resources of which 48 articles met the inclusion criteria of being in English and describing e-Health implementation in Uganda. These were included in the study and were examined in detail.ConclusionUganda has trialled several e-Health and m-Health solutions to address healthcare challenges. Most were donor funded, operated in silos and lacked sustainability. Various barriers have been identified. Evidence has shown that e-Health implementations in Uganda have lacked prior planning stages that the literature notes as essential, for example strategy and need readiness assessment. Future research should address these shortcomings prior to introduction of e-Health innovations.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines e-Health as the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for health.[1] e-Health enables public health and primary healthcare through activities such as disease surveillance, primary health data acquisition and analysis, support of community health workers, teleconsultation, tele-education, research and patient management
Most m-Health applications were proof-of-concept activities piloted as part of non-government organisation (NGO) projects and offered healthcare within particular communities in Uganda
In 2011, the MoH adopted and rolled out the District Health Management Information System (DHIS2) to the 112 districts of Uganda.[64]. This electronic system, which is widely used in Africa, aims to strengthen routine health data reporting from the district level to the national headquarters level (MoH), replacing the existing paper-based system
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines e-Health as the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for health.[1] e-Health enables public health and primary healthcare through activities such as disease surveillance, primary health data acquisition and analysis, support of community health workers, teleconsultation, tele-education, research and patient management. In Uganda, the growth in the information and communications technology industry has benefited the rural communities and created opportunities for new innovations, and their application into healthcare has reported positive results, especially in the areas of disease control and prevention through disease surveillance. This study reviews the literature to understand e-Health’s current implementation status within Uganda and documents the barriers and opportunities to sustainable e-Health intervention programmes in Uganda
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
