Abstract
Tracking health commodity inventory and notifying stock levels via mobile devices: a mixed methods systematic review.
Highlights
Health systems need timely and reliable access to essential medicines and health commodities, but problems with access are common in many settings
In this Cochrane Review, we aimed to assess if health workers would have better access to medicines and other supplies, if they used mobile phones or other mobile devices to keep track of the amount of supplies they had available, and to notify superiors when they needed more supplies
The evidence does point to several factors that could influence the implementation of these systems
Summary
Health systems need timely and reliable access to essential medicines and health commodities, but problems with access are common in many settings. Mobile technologies o er potential low-cost solutions to the challenge of drug distribution and commodity availability in primary healthcare settings. Access to medicines and other health commodities remains one of the most serious global public health problems and results in critical gaps in delivery of healthcare services. Reliable availability of health commodities is fundamental to diagnosing and treating illnesses in primary healthcare settings. Health commodities include health products, health and medical supplies, and other items that may be needed for the provision of health services, including medicines; vaccines; medical supplies, such as contraceptives, dressings, needles, and syringes; and laboratory and diagnostic consumables (Tran 2015; WHO 2017). Stockouts of critical medical commodities, such as medicines, are widespread, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
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