Application of mHealth to improve service delivery and health outcomes: Opportunities and challenges

The use of mobile technologies for health related activities (mHealth) is a new but rapidly progressing activity with global penetration. However, few programs have been implemented at scale. The objective of this paper is to review the background and evidence on mHealth, particularly with respect to the benefits and challenges of scale-up. A comprehensive review of literature on mHealth, aspects of eHealth and the related regulatory environment was undertaken in August 2014. mHealth innovations vary broadly in purpose, delivery channel and target population. As a result of its broad applicability and geographic reach, the benefits of successfully, safely and widely implemented mHealth are numerous and promising. However, these benefits can only be realized if the associated risks are minimized and the barriers are purposefully overcome. Government stewardship and leadership is crucial in overcoming these barriers and scaling up mHealth

The impact of "male clinics" on health-seeking behaviors of adult men in rural Kenya.

BackgroundIn most parts of the world, men access health services less frequently than women, and this trend is unrelated to differences in need for services. While male involvement in healthcare as partners or fathers has been extensively studied, less is known about the health-seeking behavior of men as clients themselves. This interventional research study aimed to determine how the introduction of male-friendly clinics impacted male care-seeking behavior and to describe the reasons for accessing services among men in rural Kenya.Methods and findingsWe questioned men to assess utilization and perceptions of existing health clinics, then designed and evaluated a "male clinics" intervention where dedicated male health workers were hired for one year to offer routine, free services exclusively to men within existing healthcare facilities. Results were compared between data from Male Clinics in specific health facilities, the same facilities concurrently, nearby control facilities concurrently, and intervention facilities historically. Costs of services, distance to facilities, and quality of care were the main barriers to healthcare access reported. The number of total visits was significantly higher than control groups (pConclusionsCosts and quality of services deter men from seeking healthcare. The introduction of male-friendly health services could encourage men to seek preventive care and increase service uptake