I’M HERE: IMproving HEalth Communication in REfugee Camps

Abstract

Background/Introduction:Health care delivery in refugee camps is challenging; the setting of a refugee camp is a unique context that presents barriers and one of the main problems is the fragmentation and difficulty in communication and information sharing among HCWs deployed in a camp, especially in contexts where communication networks are not always available and accessible.Objectives:The overall objective of this project is to facilitate health communications among health care workers in a refugee camp where the communication network is not always available or accessible.Method/Description:A mesh network communication system will be deployed, tested, and evaluated to assess and evaluate the usage, feasibility, and reliability of the system, testing the capacity of the message to reach different parts of the camp.Results/Outcomes:During the project’s initial phase, local health care workers (HCWs) will support the project in identifying instances when communication is challenging and will create injects/mock scenarios to use in the following phase. In the second phase, the application of the new technology is evaluated; experimental research will compare the “as is” of the system and the “to be” solution using the new technology measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) (eg, time needed to send/receive information).Conclusion:The use of an available, affordable, and usable mobile and internet connectivity system in a context where communication networks are not always available or accessible will facilitate the communication among agencies, improve the coordination of health services, and improve the quality and timing of information sharing.