An application and database for routine collection and storage of surveillance data in developing countries

Many health posts in rural Nepal and other developing countries send paper-based tallied data on key health issues to the District Public Health Office (DPHO) as part of surveillance and reporting requirements. These data are important as they influence health planning and resource allocation, and provide evidence on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Health posts are responsible for implementing and evaluating initiatives to promote health within their villages. However, they lack timely data to help determine community needs and hence plan appropriate interventions. On-line data collection would allow greater access to current localised health data, enabling health posts to better develop needs-based community health interventions. The proposed project consists of two stages:
  1. The first involves the development of a centralised database at district level to house data routinely
    2. collected by community health posts. This database will act as a repository for standard health measures across communities, but will also have the capacity to include additional measures as needed by individual communities. This database will be physically located at the District Public Health Office (DPHO) in Pokhara, and will be administered by DPHO staff. An evaluation of strengths and limitations the databases currently used for such data collection will be undertaken to assess the applicability in a rural, resources poor setting. A minimum dataset will be identified and the database variable definitions and procedures will be comprehensively documented.
  2. The second stage involves the development of a novel data collection tool (android tablet application)
    3. for rural and remote health posts to record and submit health data in real time. This app will be based on the AKVOflow app1 currently used in some areas of Nepal, and will be modified to have broader health applicability. Tablet applications with wireless technologies have recently been shown to overcome many of the limitations of traditional data collection methods in Nepal.2

References

  1. http://www.washalliance.nl/2014/03/03/akvo-flow-in-nepal-real-time-monitoring-of-wash-services/
  2. Paudel et al. 2013. Successful use of tablet personal computers and wireless technologies for the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, Global Health: Science and Practice, 1:277-283

Client


Contact: Dr Julie Saunders
Phone: 6488 1305
Email: [email protected]
Preferred contact: Email
Location: School of Population and Global Health

IP Exploitation Model


The IP exploitation model requested by the Client is: Creative Commons ( open source ) http://creativecommons.org.au/


Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering
The University of Western Australia
Last modified: 24 May 2019
Modified By: Michael Wise 		UWA