Future trends and data integration in health

[sona]

Many eHealth and mHealth solutions have been developed and implemented in Tanzania in the past years. For example, women in rural areas received education on HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis. But how to move to a more integrated and less fragmented set of eHealth and mHealth solutions is still a challenge. eHealth is the use of new information and communication technologies (mobile, internet) to support or improve health and health care while mHealth is eHealth but based on mobile devices (phone and tablet)

ICT stakeholders have jointly mentioned that there should be a deliberate plan to strengthen the health chain starting from district hospitals, regional hospitals and those of referral hospitals. The call was made during ICT solutions event organized by the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) in collaboration with Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC).

Either these experts went on saying that, measures should be put in place to make sure that referral hospitals are well improved in terms of the services they offer.  Most of the referral hospitals are incapacitated and do not conform to the required health standards, thus the need to be strengthened.

There should be a link between dispensaries and hospitals especially in E-service.  Besides, there should also be integration between villages and hospitals so as to smoothen Medicare support.

In his official opening, the Director of Education Services at CSSC, Mr. Petro Pamba asked participants to think big on how sustainability of the project can be worked upon and realized.  He posed a challenge to the government on how BIG RESULTS NOW (BRN) initiative in health sector can be used as a significant instrument in improving for referral hospitals, district hospitals, etc.

The meeting was meant to brainstorm the way forward on how to minimize the workload in health delivery in the country, especially through the integration of modern health software, and most importantly to see to it the sustainability and future projections of ICT for health delivery in the country.