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Technical Concepts
Open Access

mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework

Alain B Labrique, Lavanya Vasudevan, Erica Kochi, Robert Fabricant and Garrett Mehl
Global Health: Science and Practice August 2013, 1(2):160-171; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-13-00031
Alain B Labrique
aJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Lavanya Vasudevan
aJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Erica Kochi
bUnited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), New York City, NY, USA
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Robert Fabricant
cfrog Design, New York City, NY, USA
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Garrett Mehl
dWorld Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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  • For correspondence: mehlg@who.int
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    Figure 1.

    The mHealth and ICT Framework for RMNCH

    Abbreviations: CHW, community health worker; ICT, information and communications technology; PMTCT, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; RMNCH, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health.

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    Figure 2.

    Twelve Common mHealth and ICT Applications

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    Figure 3.

    Sample Application of the mHealth and ICT Framework for RMNCH

    Abbreviations: CHW, community health worker; ICT, information and communications technology; RMNCH, reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health.

    The fictional “Project Vaccinate” is an mHealth system that integrates 5 of the 12 common mHealth applications to identify newborns and support families and community health workers in ensuring timely and complete vaccination.

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    Table 1. Examples of Mobile Phone Functions Used in Common mHealth and ICT Applications
    Common mHealth and ICT ApplicationsExamples of Mobile Phone Functions
    1Client education and behavior change communication (BCC)• Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
    • Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
    • Voice communication/Audio clips
    • Video clips
    • Images
    2Sensors and point-of-care diagnostics• Mobile phone camera
    • Tethered accessory sensors, devices
    • Built-in accelerometer
    3Registries and vital events tracking• Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Voice communication
    • Digital forms
    4Data collection and reporting• Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Digital forms
    • Voice communication
    5Electronic health records• Digital forms
    • Mobile web (WAP/GPRS)
    6Electronic decision support (information, protocols, algorithms, checklists)• Mobile web (WAP/GPRS)
    • Stored information “apps”
    • Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
    7Provider-to-provider communication (user groups, consultation)• Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
    • Mobile phone camera
    8Provider work planning and scheduling• Interactive electronic client lists
    • Short Message Service (SMS) alerts
    • Mobile phone calendar
    9Provider training and education• Short Message Service (SMS)
    • Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
    • Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
    • Voice communication
    • Audio or video clips, images
    10Human resource management• Web-based performance dashboards
    • Global Positioning Service (GPS)
    • Voice communication
    • Short Message Service (SMS)
    11Supply chain management• Web-based supply dashboards
    • Global Positioning Service (GPS)
    • Digital forms
    • Short Message Service (SMS)
    12Financial transactions and incentives• Mobile money transfers and banking services
    • Transfer of airtime minutes
    • Abbreviations: GPRS, General Packet Radio Service; WAP, Wireless Application Protocol.

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Global Health: Science and Practice: 1 (2)
Global Health: Science and Practice
Vol. 1, No. 2
August 01, 2013
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mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework
Alain B Labrique, Lavanya Vasudevan, Erica Kochi, Robert Fabricant, Garrett Mehl
Global Health: Science and Practice Aug 2013, 1 (2) 160-171; DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-13-00031

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mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework
Alain B Labrique, Lavanya Vasudevan, Erica Kochi, Robert Fabricant, Garrett Mehl
Global Health: Science and Practice Aug 2013, 1 (2) 160-171; DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-13-00031
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  • Article
    • MHEALTH AS A HEALTH SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING TOOL
    • A SHARED FRAMEWORK TO EXPLAIN MHEALTH INNOVATIONS
    • 12 COMMON MHEALTH AND ICT APPLICATIONS
    • PLACING THE 12 APPLICATIONS WITHIN THE RMNCH FRAMEWORK
    • Acknowledgments
    • Notes
    • REFERENCES
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  • PDF

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