Background
Methods
Protocol and registration
Database search
Search domains | Search Terms |
---|---|
mHealth intervention provider | healthcare providers, lay health workers, health counsellors, healthcare workers, health educators |
mHealth platforms | mobile health, mHealth, mobile phone health technology, mobile phone health, digital mobile health, digital mobile phone health |
mHealth intervention recipient | Women, men, adult men adult women, young, adolescent, young people, youth population, young women, young girls, young boys, young men, young women and men, young girls and boys, adolescent girls, adolescent boys, adolescent girls and boys |
mHealth intervention services | reproductive health, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, contraception and family planning, family planning information and services |
Geographic setting | low-income countries, low-and-middle-income countries |
Search terms
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Data sources and search strategy
healthcare providers* OR Healthcare professionals* OR health provider* OR health counsellor* OR health educator* AND mobile health* OR mHealth* OR mobile phone health technology* OR mobile phone health* OR digital mobile health* OR digital mobile phone health* OR voice messaging*OR phone calls* OR voice calls* OR SMS text-messaging* OR short message service* OR IVR calls* OR interactive voice respose calls AND young adult* OR youth* OR adolescent* OR young people* OR youth population* OR young wom?n* OR young girl* OR young boy* OR young m?n* OR young women* OR emerging adult* OR men* OR women* OR adult men* OR adult women* OR adolescent girl* OR adolescent boy* OR adolescen* AND reproductive health* or sexual health* or HIV* or contraception* or contraceptives* or modern contraception* or contracept service* or contracept educat* or contracept counsel*OR family planning AND low-income countries* OR low-and-middle-income nation* OR low to middle income countries* O middle-income countr* OR low resource countries All limit to (english language and full text and humans and yr = “2000 - 2020”) |
Data extraction
Study selection
Sythensis methods
Quality assessment
Study Authors | Quality assessment questions | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total (n%) | |
Jahangir et al. [42] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (90%) |
Peprah et al. [46] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (100%) |
Braun et al. [37] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 8 (80% |
Dev et al. [38] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (100%) |
LogIe et al. [44] | Yes | Yes | No | yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | 50 (50%) |
Ibembe, [41] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (90%) |
Ong et al. [45] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (90%) |
Khatun et al. [43] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 8 (80%) |
Hirsch-Moverman et al. [40] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (100%) |
Jennings et al. [29] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (90%) |
Hampshere et al. [39] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 (100) |
Chang et al. [47] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 9 (90%) |
Total = 12 |
Results
Characteristics of included studies
Synthesis of results
Author & year | Country& Setting | Study methods | Study population | mHealth intervention platforms | Barriers | Facilitators |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jahangir et al. [42] | Bangladesh Community-based Rural | Qualitative In-depth interviews | Health providers | Sexual health services SMS or text-messaging | - Low levels of technological and health literacy. -Not possible to provide diagnoses of STIs over the phone -Not possible to provide physical examination on phone. -Emotional burden for receiving too many calls and time. | -mHealth quite good for providing counselling. -Gets quick information to clients - Easy referral services to clinics - Time and cost management for traveling to health facilities. - Effective in time managemt for providing services. -Culturally appropriate in providing SRH information. -Effective in providing greater access to health information for women regarding STIs. -Provides an innovative platform to bridging the health communication gaps in sexual health |
Peprah et al. [46] | Ghana Rural | Qualitative In-depth interviews | Healthcare providers | Sexual and reproductive services Phone call | -Language barrier. -Illiteracy or low educational level of recipients. - Lack of trust. -Mobile network connectivity challenges. | mHealth saves waiting hours’ time. -Delivering services via mHealth technology saves time. -mHealth reduces workload. -mHealth able to contact many clients at a time for healthcare. |
Braun et al. [37] | Tanzania Rural | Qualitative IDIs | Community health workers | Family planning (FP) services text messaging | -Low technological skills. -Limited power for battery charging -Cost of mobile phone. | - Timelier - More convenient contacting clients from remote locations. -Ease of use of technology confidential information and care. -Increased method choice. -Improved privacy, confidentiality and trust with clients. |
Dev et al. [38] | Kenya Rural | Qualitative In-depth interviews | Healthcare providers (nurses) | Contraception services Mobile phone call | - Limited technological literacy - Workload for receiving calls from clients. -Emotional stress. | -Helps deliver the appropriate and detailed SRH information. -Saves time for providing education or counselling. -Improves client provider interactions relationship. - Allows discuss confidential issues with women on contraceptives privately with women to make better decisions -Maximizes time or saves providers time in providing counselling process. |
Logie et al. [44] | Nigeria Keyna Rural | Mixed method Qualitive In-depth interviews (IDIs) | Healthcare providers | Sexual and reproductive health services Mobile phone call | -Does not work if a client/ person doesn’t have a phone. -Lack of regular internet access. -Lack of technological literacy of using mobile apps. - Cost of mobile phones | -Able to target specific health information to clients in rural areas based on health demographics. -Able to provide access to SRH information for underserved group. - Easier to provide mHealth apps SRH confidentially for young people in remote areas. -Easy for healthcare providers to constantly remind or follow up on clients. |
Ibembe [41] | Kenya Health facility Rural | Qualitative IDIs | Healthcare professionals | Reproductive health services Mobile phone call | -Lack of technological expertise. -Poor network connectivity. -Cost of phone credit or airtime. -Lack of motivation. -Lack of technological literacy and skills. - Not owning a cell phone. | -Easy consultation. - Addressing challenges distance between health providers and users. - Trust and confidentiality are built. Around health providers and users. -Quality and timely health decision making. |
Ong et al. [45] | Cambodia Rural/urban | Qualitative Focus group discussions (FGDs) IDIs | Community health workers | Sexual and reproductive health/HIV Text messaging Voice messaging | -Lack of financial support for service provision. -Network connectivity interruptions. | - Able to provide information on HIV and STIs prevention issues. - Able to link up with many clients with SRH services. -Able to connect groups of clients. -Able to help clients in making SRH decisions -More efficient to deliver information directly and more frequently to a larger group via mobile phones. |
Khatun et al. [43] | Bangladesh Rural | Qualitative IDIs | Health services Mobile phone call | -Technological human resource inadequacy. -Healthcare personnel readiness to use mobile technology for SRH services. -Lack of technological skills by some HCPs and young people. - illiteracy barriers. | -Decrease in patient loads in rural healthcare centers. -mHealth consultation saves time - Enables health providers to provide quality health services. -Culturally sensitive and technology friendly solution | |
Hirsch-Moverman et al. [40] | Lesotho Rural | Qualitative IDIs | Healthcare providers Health facility & community -based | Health services/HIV text messaging | -Lack of technology infrastructure. -Limited network connectivity -Limited electricity connectivity. -Community members influence of use of mobile phones for SRH services. | -Facilitates communication between patients’ providers. -Ability to be able to follow-up patients frequently. -mHealth communication messages strengthen the patient–provider bond. -Ability to monitor patients over phone. -Easily able to track and follow up patients. |
Jennings et al. [29] | Kenya Rural | Qualitative FGDs/IDIs | Community health workers & nurses Health facility-based | HIV services Voice calls, Text messaging | - Cost for airtime for maintenance of phones. -Lack of technological by clients | - Protects the confidentiality of information. - Convenient for follow -Easy referral of clients to HCPs. -Timelier notification f information -Save time -Reduces unnecessary visits.to health facilities |
Hampshire et al. [39] | Ghana & Malawi Peri-urban & rural | Qualitative IDIs | Health workers Community-based | Contraception/family planning/HIV prevention education. Text messaging phone calls Voice messaging | -Not having personal mobile phones. -Temporary mobile phone breakdown can be problematic. -Poor or unreliable network - Mobile phone credit or airtime. -Limited sources to buy credit Emotional burden for receiving calls at night. | --Mobile phones help in emergencies, staff making emergency calls. -Helps in communicating with patients’ colleagues, obtaining clinical advice. |
Chang et al. [39] | Uganda Rural | Qualitative IDIs | Peer health workers | HIV services Text messaging Voice messaging | -Phone maintenance cost -Lack of power/electricity to charge phones. -Mobile phones theft . | -Facilitates task shifting. Time saving. -Facilitates exchange of information or communication between HCPs and patients and HCPs. -Improved peer health workers morale. |