The INFO Project Blog

The subject of handheld computers’ role in getting infomation out to remote locations has been whirling around the HIFA2015 network (Health Information for All by 2015). I captured a few messages from this thread:

From: Adesina —
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2007 1:46 AM
To: HIFA2015
Subject: [hifa2015] Role of hand-held computers (PDAs) (3)

Dear All,

Just to contribute to this ongoing discussion especially to already valuable comments from Bill and Leela. It might be nice to look at the work of Tapan S. Parikh in using mobile phones for copying and transmitting documents in rural India. Here is a link to his website:
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/tapan/cv.html

Meanwhile, an attempt is currently underway to stimulate discussion on
HIFA2015 on how these pervasive mobile technologies can be employed to support health workers’ clinical and educational activities in developing countries. The “ice-breaker” for the discussion will be posted on HIFA2015 soon and your contribution is highly solicited.

AED-SATELLIFE is piggy-backing on existing cellular phone networks to distribute information.

—–Original Message—–
From: Leela
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 4:57 AM
To: HIFA2015
Subject: [hifa2015] Role of hand-held computers (PDAs) (2)

Hi Bill,

AED-SATELLIFE has been using low-cost PDAs in our Uganda Health Information Project for data collection and information dissemination for the past 3 years (see http://pda.healthnet.org/) Stakeholders identified diarrhea, malaria, and pneumonia as key diseases to focus on initially and later added other topics such as HIV/AIDS, Maternal and child health, TB, etc.

Content broadcasts are sent to health workers in 5 rural districts via the wireless network that we created in Uganda which piggy-backs on the cellular network. Sources of content include local clinical and treatment guidelines, selected WHO content, and relevant content from health and medical journals. Our team in Uganda converts the content into html format that can be read in a browser application that is loaded on the PDA.
Training in the use of PDAs is also provided by the team. Health workers (nurses, nursing assistants, clinical officers, community health workers) enjoy using the devices and rely on them for clinical management of patients and public health work in the community.

We have also used Mobipocket Reader and have converted content into e-books which can be read in this application. Conversion of content into html format does take a bit of time but is very doable.

I would like to highlight that while the PDAs provide a powerful mobile computer library and are very useful in environments without Internet access, one needs to keep in mind the need for the training of users, ongoing support in use of the technology, and troubleshooting support.

Kind regards,
Leela

Some HIFA2015 members provided links to buy PDAs on eBay: 

Sylvia,

I have a friend in Southern Zambia who also wants print materials for his
staff. With the “Green” movement worldwide, what is the possibility of
using low cost PDAs [*]:

http://search-desc.ebay.com/pda_PDAs-Pocket-PCs_W0QQcatrefZC6QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfromZR10QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ34QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQftsZ2QQsabfmtsZ1QQsacatZ38331QQsaobfmtsZinsifQQsaprchiZQQsaprcloZQQsbrsrtZd

that can be found on eBay and using software such as the following to get
around text shortage?:

http://www.mobipocket.com/en/DownloadSoft/default.asp?Language=EN

People in resource-rich countries could load desired materials onto the
PDAs and send them where needed.

Bill —
Tampa, FL