Innovative Application of Digital Health Solutions to Strengthen Health Systems and Improve Health Outcomes in Rural Populations of Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a novel e-health intervention that used satellite connectivity infrastructure (SatCom), video training apps (VTR), and data management tools (ClinPak) enabled mobile tablet computers for frontline health workers' training /data management towards achieving improvements in maternal, newborn and child health care service delivery in rural communities in Abuja, Nigeria.

Methods

 E-Health innovations were deployed to 29 primary health centers in Gwagwalada local government area (LGA), Abuja (intervention LGA) while these interventions were not deployed to 29 PHCs in Kuje Local government area, Abuja which was the non-intervention LGA for a period of 24 months (March 2017-March 2019).  A mixed-methods study design was used to evaluate the impact of novel E-Health tools implementations on maternal, newborn, and child health services delivery in the rural communities in Abuja, Nigeria by comparing findings at baseline and end line.

Results

There was an increase in the rate of utilization of MNCH services, client’s satisfaction and health workers confidence and competence to provide MNCH related services in the intervention LGA at endline when compared to baseline. Data management also improved with the use of the e-health tool with the additional benefit of utilization of the data for decision making and governance in the PHCs.

Conclusion

E-health innovations when implemented at scale with the involvement of relevant stakeholders improved MNCH service delivery in PHCs in Abuja, Nigeria. The importance of political will by the government at local, state, and national level for further programmatic scale-up and sustainability cannot be over-emphasized.