• Education, knowledge and technology

Education, knowledge and technology

This paper, published by Information for Development (infodev), looks at information and communication technology (ICT) interventions in the health sector in developing countries. It argues that ICTs have enormous potential as tools to increase information flows, disseminate evidence-based knowledge, and empower citizens. ICTs have been used to enable remote consultation through telemedicine; encourage collaboration among health workers; and support more effective health research. Pilot projects have demonstrated outcomes such as improved health system productivity and reduced mortality rates. Yet ICTs have not been widely used to advance equitable healthcare access, and there are still few ICT users amongst professionals and communities in developing countries.

The paper recommends that governments or agencies implementing ICT projects in the health sector should: keep the technology simple, relevant and local; build on what is there; involve users in the design of the system; strengthen capacity to use, work with and develop effective ICTs; introduce better monitoring and evaluation, particularly through participatory approaches; include communication strategies in the design of ICT projects; and continue to research and share learning about what works, and what fails. The paper also identifies areas where more research is needed, such as how to scale up pilot projects, and how to develop local content which is relevant, appropriate and practical.

• Full text of document
• Publisher details
• Send to a friend