The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services.
| Title: | The MomConnect mHealth initiative in South Africa: Early impact on the supply side of MCH services. |
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| Authors: | Barron P; School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. pbarron@iafrica.com.; Pillay Y; National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa.; Fernandes A; National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa.; Sebidi J; National Department of Health, Pretoria, South Africa.; Allen R; MEASURE Evaluation SIFSA, Pretoria, South Africa. |
| Source: | Journal of public health policy [J Public Health Policy] 2016 Nov; Vol. 37 (Suppl 2), pp. 201-212. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8006508 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1745-655X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01975897 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Public Health Policy Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2005- : Basingstoke, England : Palgrave Macmillan; Original Publication: [Burlington, Vt., Journal of Public Health Policy, inc.] |
| MeSH Terms: | Maternal-Child Health Services/*supply & distribution ; Telemedicine/*methods; Maternal-Child Health Services/organization & administration ; Cell Phone ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; South Africa |
| Abstract: | MomConnect is an mHealth initiative giving pregnant women information via SMS. We report on an analysis of the compliments and especially complaints component of the feedback. We scrutinised the electronic databases containing information on the first seventeen months of operation of MomConnect. During this time, 583,929 pregnant women were registered on MomConnect, representing approximately 46 per cent of pregnant women booking their pregnancy in the public sector in South Africa. These women gave feedback on services received: 4173 compliments and 690 complaints. Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) of all complaints were resolved. The complaints were classified into those related to health services (29 per cent), staff (22 per cent), health systems (42 per cent) and other (6 per cent). These complaints were fed back to managers in the health facilities. This has resulted in improvements in the quality of services, e.g. decreased drug stock-outs and change of behaviour of some health workers. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: mHealth; maternal and child health; quality of care; supply side |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20161201 Date Completed: 20170626 Latest Revision: 20260127 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| DOI: | 10.1057/s41271-016-0015-2 |
| PMID: | 27899795 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article