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The mConsulting Project: Mobile consulting as an option for communities with minimal healthcare access in low-resource settings

Introduction

Mobile or Remote Consulting is when patients consult with healthcare workers about a health issue using some form of digital communication, e.g. mobile phone, tablet. mConsulting has potential to improve access to quality healthcare, particularly for communities with minimal access to services in low- and middle-income counties. There are well-known corporate providers in many countries and, with the availability of mobile money transfer, individuals and small organisations may also be providing mConsulting. In this study (February 2019-June 2020), we explored how mConsulting is being used and provided and its perceived impact in urban slums and remote rural areas in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania.

Our Research

Our project ran in remote rural areas in Pakistan and Tanzania and five urban slums in Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria (Feb 2019-June 2020). We analysed national policies and identified existing mConsulting services in each country. We held interviews and ran workshops, reaching over 230 community residents, 50 local health workers and 30 local and national decision-makers about their use, experiences and perceptions of mConsulting.

Data were qualitatively analysed for key themes within and across sites. We also analysed secondary data from a household survey undertaken in the five urban study sites by the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Improving Health in Slums.

Related work

COVID-19 response: Remote consulting for healthcare (ReaCH): Training health workers to continue health care delivery digitally in low resource countries

Co-produced mobile consulting for remote, marginalised communities in Africa (UKRI GCRF Digital Innovation for Development in Africa)

Digital communication in the NHS, UK Improving health outcomes for young people with long-term conditions: The role of digital communication in current and future patient-clinical communication for NHS providers of specialist clinical services (the LYNC Study)

Funding Acknowledgement

The mConsulting Project was supported by a foundation grant from the Health Systems Research Initiative with funding from the UK Department for International Development, the UK Economic and Social Research Council, the UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (grant no. MR/S012729/1).

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Partners

Our partners are:

Project Advisory Groups

Research in each study site has been guided by a Project Advisory Group of local experts, including community leaders, local health workers and managers, mHealth service providers, mobile companies, technical and academic experts, local NGOs and researchers.

Contact us

Principal Investigator

Frances Griffiths f.e.griffiths@warwick.ac.uk

Bangladesh

Rita Yusuf ritayusuf@iub.edu.bd

Kenya

Pauline Bakibinga pbakibinga@aphrc.org

Nigeria

Akinyinka Omigbodun omigbodun@gmail.com

Pakistan

Romaina Iqbal romaina.iqbal@aku.edu

Tanzania

Senga Pemba pemba7@gmail.com

Project Coordinator

Bronwyn Harris b.harris.2@warwick.ac.uk