M-Health for Health Behaviour Change in Resource-Limited Settings: Applications to HIV Care and beyond

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Citation

Thirumurthy, Harsha & Lester, Richard T. (2012). M-Health for Health Behaviour Change in Resource-Limited Settings: Applications to HIV Care and beyond. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 90(5), 390-392. PMCID: PMC3341690

Abstract

Of the new advanced information and communication technologies, cellular telecommunication networks and mobile phones have reached far more people than any other, especially in developing countries. Although internet use has also increased substantially in recent years, in 2011 26% of the people in developing countries had internet access, whereas 79% had mobile or cellular phone subscriptions.
This landscape of expanded access to modern communication technologies has given rise to the concept of “mobile health” (or m-health, a part of what is commonly referred to as “electronic health” or e-health), which is the use of mobile phones for improving health outcomes. Mobile phones can benefit patients and providers by helping overcome resource limitations on the supply side of health care as well as structural barriers and behavioural limitations on the demand side. However, the burgeoning interest in m-health creates the need to carefully assess how effectively m-health interventions can induce behaviour change and to objectively compare their cost-effectiveness with that of other behaviour change strategies. Unless the presumed benefits of m-health can be empirically demonstrated, donors and m-health programme implementers run the risk of spending resources on interventions of questionable benefit.
This paper draws on the results of three m-health interventions recently evaluated in Kenya to illustrate health behaviours that are particularly amenable to change through m-health interventions. It also underscores the need for controlled trials and points out those aspects of m-health that require further research.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.11.099317

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2012

Journal Title

Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Author(s)

Thirumurthy, Harsha
Lester, Richard T.

PMCID

PMC3341690

ORCiD

Thirumurthy - 0000-0002-3308-7603