Digital technology

Community and health systems learning: critical realist evaluation of the VAPAR ‘learning platform’ in rural South Africa 2015-25

This study looked at a program in rural South Africa that brought communities, health workers, and decision-makers together to learn and solve health problems. Over time, it helped build trust, improve teamwork, and strengthen the role of community health workers, making health services more responsive to local needs. The approach became part of the health system and adapted to … [Read more...] about Community and health systems learning: critical realist evaluation of the VAPAR ‘learning platform’ in rural South Africa 2015-25

This study looked at whether communities in the Philippines are ready to use community health workers together with digital tools to improve health services. It found that people trust community health workers and strongly support this idea, and many are open to using digital tools. However, contact with health workers is still limited, and concerns remain about data privacy … [Read more...] about Integrated Community-Based Primary Healthcare Model to Strengthen Universal Health Coverage: Evidence from CHW Readiness, Service Quality, and Digital Health Acceptability in Selected CALABARZON LGUs

This study tested whether community health workers in India, supported by a simple digital tool, could help people manage diabetes better. ASHAs screened nearly 1,800 people and found 418 with diabetes. Those in the intervention group received nine months of follow-up from ASHAs, who were guided by a decision-support app and supervised by doctors. More people in the … [Read more...] about Preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of ASHA-led mobile health intervention for diabetes care in Indian primary health care settings

This study examined the digital skills of community health workers in Shanghai, China, for promoting health through digital media. It found that nearly half of the workers used digital media for over 19 hours a week, but their overall digital capacity for health promotion was moderate. Factors such as education level, positive attitudes toward digital media, and experience in … [Read more...] about Factors Associated With Digital Capacity for Health Promotion Among Primary Care Workers: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

This study investigated how the care of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first part of the study, researchers evaluated the frequency of medical consultations and the disease status of DM patients from 34 primary health care centers in Brazil. Subsequently, authors developed an application for use by CHWs to identify at-risk DM … [Read more...] about Pandemic-Related Impairment in the Monitoring of Patients With Hypertension and Diabetes and the Development of a Digital Solution for the Community Health Worker: Quasi Experimental and Implementation Study