221.649.81
E-Health and M-Health: Using Information Technology to Improve Health in Low and Middle-income Countries
Location
Internet
Term
3rd Term
Department
International Health
Credit(s)
3
Academic Year
2012 - 2013
Instruction Method
TBD
Auditors Allowed
Yes, with instructor consent
Available to Undergraduate
No
Grading Restriction
Letter Grade or Pass/Fail
Course Instructor(s)
Course Instructor(s)
Edward Bunker
Contact Name
Frequency Schedule
Every Year
Resources
Explores eHealth and mHealth in Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Students consider practical approaches to assess appropriate application of information and communication technologies to solve public health problems and improve health. Students also identify and discuss challenges for developing and deploying eHealth and mHealth systems. Through analysis of case studies and interactions with practitioners, students assess and articulate requirements for eHealth and mHealth systems. Covers current topics and issues, including: “lessons-learned” from recent mobile health initiatives; challenges of creating, developing, and supporting systems within low-bandwidth or no-bandwidth environments; electronic health records (EHRs); role of mobile data collection within program monitoring and evaluation; and role and use of open source systems. Although not exclusively, faculty and guest lecturers will draw upon their work and experiences related to HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Learning Objectives
Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- articulate basic definitions and terms relevant to eHealth, mHealth, and Health Informatics;
- apply frameworks and other tools in the assessment and evaluation of eHealth and mHealth projects;
- consider how to elicit health-related needs and goals and determine if and how information technology can help meet those needs and goals;
- consider how information technology is or could be used to address health needs in LMIC;
- assist public health agencies and donors to develop or select information and communication technology to better solve problems and achieve objectives in LMIC;
- critically participate in discussions about basic system requirements for proposed systems by writing “Use Case” narratives and requirement statements;
- prepare Work Flow and/or Data Flow diagrams;
- identify the main drivers for the deployment of mHealth services in LMIC
- describe and be familiar with the basic functions of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems and discuss the potential role an appropriately applied EHR System might play within an eHealth ecosystem;
- examine and describe a variety of current mHealth and eHealth initiatives; and
- critically discuss and debate current eHealth and mHealth issues, challenges, and opportunities.