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The digital lives of refugees and Kenyans with disabilities in Nairobi: A human-centred design approach to identifying mobile-enabled opportunities

HAMILTON, Zoe
CASSWELL, Jenny
ALONSO, Aline
July 2020

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This research focuses on disability, using human-centred design methods to better understand how refugees and Kenyans with visual and hearing impairments in Nairobi use mobile technology and potential opportunities that it could provide.

The target populations for the project were urban refugees and host communities with visual or hearing impairments in Nairobi, Kenya. 

 

This report is divided into four main sections, following an introduction, the second section focuses on insights learned from the hearing impaired, the third on the visually impaired and the fourth highlighting issues that were cross-cutting insights across both groups. Sections two and three include insights related to mobile, health and financial services. The fourth section includes insights related to humanitarian and disability support services

 

Lost in digitalization? Municipality employment of welfare technologies

FRENNERT, Susanne
2018

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Introduction:

Swedish municipalities face a number of daunting challenges; an aging population, the public’s increased demands and expectations on municipality services, and a strained economy to mention some. Welfare technology, a Scandinavian concept launched to promote digitalization, is seen as one solution to meet these challenges.

 

Objective: 

Despite these promises, few welfare technology applications are offered by local Swedish municipalities and care organizations. Numerous studies have shown that Swedish municipalities have a great interest in welfare technologies.

 

Methods: 

In this article, we draw on empirical research in one Swedish municipality. Through two case studies it is illustrated how technological change and municipality employment of welfare technologies are employed.

 

Results: 

These case studies show how core values of care are being lost in the quest for digitalization due to the lack of organizational skills and knowledge in transforming the relationship of caregiving and care-receiving through the use of digital technology.

 

Conclusions: 

Digitalization and welfare technologies deployed ought to represent and support the core values of caregiving and to receive care. Thus, digital transformation most likely will transform conditions for care receivers and working conditions for care workers. New work processes will evolve, which in turn produce new meanings of home help service work and caregiving.

Mental health assessments in refugees and asylum seekers: evaluation of a tablet-assisted screening software

MORINA, Naser
et al
October 2017

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Mental health problems resulting from persecution and forced migration are very common among refugees and asylum seekers and evolve into a major public health challenge. Language barriers often prevent timely access to appropriate health care, leading to chronic trajectories and abortive social integration. Tools for multilingual screening and assessment could be of great benefit for this particularly vulnerable population as well as for policy makers. This study aimed at testing the reliability, feasibility and usability of the Multi-Adaptive Psychological Screening Software (MAPSS), a newly developed Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview Software (ACASI) for touchscreen devices, for screening purposes in a clinical setting. In a randomized cross-over design including both MAPSS and paper-pencil clinician-administered interviews, 30 treatment-seeking refugees completed clinical measures and a feasibility questionnaire to rate the user interface of MAPSS. Five professionals performed given tasks in MAPSS and completed usability questionnaires for the administration interface.

Conflict and Health 2017 11:18

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-017-0120-2

Toolkit on disability for Africa

UNITED NATIONS DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (UNDESA)
November 2016

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A Toolkit on Disability for Africa has been developed by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD). It is designed for the African context and aims to:

  • Provide practical tools on various disability-related issues to government officials, members of parliament, civil and public servants at all levels, disabled persons organizations (DPOs) and all those with an interest in the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society and development;
  • Support the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and disability-inclusive development;
  • Offer examples of good practices from many countries in the African region.

 

Toolkit Modules:

  • UN DESA toolkit on CRPD – Trainers’ tips
  • Introducing the UNCRPD
  • Frameworks for implementing and monitoring the UNCRPD
  • Disability-inclusive development
  • Accessibility
  • Building multi-stakeholders partnerships for disability inclusion
  • National plans on disability
  • Legislating for disability rights
  • Access to justice for persons with disabilities
  • The rights of persons with disabilities to work
  • Inclusive health services for persons with disabilities
  • Participation in political and public life
  • Information and communication technology (ICT) and disability
  • Culture, beliefs, and disability
  • Inclusive education

Information and communications for development 2012 : maximizing mobile

THE WORLD BANK
2012

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"This report analyzes the growth and evolution of applications for mobile phones, focusing on their use in agriculture, health and financial services, as well as their impact on employment and government. It also explores the consequences for development of the emerging "app economy", summarizing current thinking and seeking to inform the debate on the use of mobile phones for development. It’s no longer about the phone itself, but about how it is used, and the content and applications that mobile phones open"

Telemedicine and knowledge between medical and development discourses

MISCIONE, Gianluca
2005

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This paper explores the implication of health care development through ICT on local norms of participation, and local accountabilities. Drawing on an example from the Amazon, the author notes the interplay between a telemedicine system and local knowledge. He suggests that ICT is an 'accountable structure' for a model of development based on linear transmition of knowledge rather than dialogue and participation

Health information technology in primary health care in developing countries : a literature review

TOMASI, E
FACCHINI, L A
MAIA MDE, F
November 2004

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This study explores the debate and initiatives concerning the use of information technology (IT) in primary health care in developing countries. The literature from 1992-2002 was identified from searches of the MEDLINE, Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature Database (LILACS), Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. For the analysis of advantages, problems and perspectives of IT applications and systems, 52 articles were selected according to their potential contribution to the primary health care processes in non-developed countries. countries. These included: 10 on electronic patient registries (EPR), 22 on process and programmatic action evaluation and management systems (PPAEM) and 20 on clinical decision-support systems (CDS). The main advantages, limitations and perspectives are discussed

Mobile phones keep track of HIV treatments

KHAN, Taman
September 2004

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Thi article reports on the Cell-Life project, which has developed a software and data management systems to allow health workers use their mobile phones to monitor patients' treatment. The data is transferred to a central database, which clinic staff can access over a secure Internet connection. In a successful pilot project 80 HIV counsellours where trained, and through the use of their mobiles are now able to keept track of nearly 800 patients

eHealth for health-care delivery : strategy 2004-2007

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2004

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Information and communication technologies have a crucial role to play in the delivery of health care, particularly in developing countries. This document outlines the WHO programme on eHealth for health-care delivery (eHCD), which aims to help decision and policy makers to create the conditions for the integration of eHealth solutions into the health system. Health technologies can be very effective in disease prevention, diagnosis and patient management and care, but the modality of implementation may vary according to the specific needs of a country. The document sets out priorities and operational framework of the programme, and spells out the goals to be achieved by 2007

Implementing telemedicine technology : lessons from India

SOOD, S P
2004

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Review of a 'challenging' pilot scheme in telemedicine in India. Lessons learned include keeping the objectives of the project in small modules and keeping the deliverables within sight. An account of some of the challenges faced while developing telemedicine technology in India serves as a useful example for upcoming telemedicine programmes in other low-resource countries

Application of ICT in strengthening health information systems in developing countries in the wake of globalisation

SIMBA, Daudi O
2004

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The last decades saw developing countries taking action to strengthen and modernise their health management information systems (HMIS) using the existing ICT. Due to poor economic and communication infrastructure, the process has been limited to national and provincial/region levels leaving behind majority of health workers living in remote/rural areas. The author notes that strategies to improve data quality and utilisation should be instituted to ensure that HMIS has positive impact on people's health; otherwise, advancement in ICT will continue to marginalise health workers in developing countries especially those living in remote areas

ICT and health [chapter] | ICT and MDGs : a World Bank Group perspective

WORLD BANK GROUP
December 2003

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This article explores the impact of ICTs on health care within developing countries. Topics covered include research and training of health-care workers, achieving health-related MDGs, and storing and disseminating health information. Details are also provided of selected World Bank-funded projects

Tygerberg Children's Hospital and Rotary Telemedicine Project

2003

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The Tygerberg Children's Hospital and Rotary Telemedicine Project in South Africa uses computers and email to link specialists from Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town to doctors in more remote community or district hospitals, in an effort to improve health care in rural areas. This article provides an exploration of the project's success

Livelihoods approaches to information and communication in support of rural poverty elimination and food security

CHAPMAN, Robert
SLAYMAKER, Tom
YOUNG, John
2003

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FAO, DFID and ODI undertook a study in 2001/2 to analyse the role of information in livelihoods, and make recommendations on how agencies can capitalise on and integrate the best elements of traditional communication methods and new information and communication (ICT) technologies within the livelihoods approach. This publication provides the results of the initial literature review, comprised of a 30 page paper followed by 20 pages of heavily annotated references. The key conclusions were that information and communications systems are most likely to improve livelihoods in rural areas if they: share costs appropriately; ensure equitable access to all; contain a high proportion of local or appropriately localised content; build on existing systems; build capacity; use realistic technologies; and build knowledge partnerships

Rural healthcare delivery : connecting communities through technology

TURISCO, Fran
METZGER, Jane
December 2002

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The report aims to provide an overview of practical technology solutions for rural providers and to help them get started. It assists readers in understanding technology and provides case examples of technology solutions. It raises practical issues in getting started and provides a list of other resources on the subject. The report is geared to a US-based audience and does not specifically cover developing country issues

Maternal health care in rural Uganda : leveraging traditional and modern knowledge systems

MUSOKE, Maria
January 2002

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A case study of the RESCUER project, in Iganga District, Eastern Uganda. The project was designed to link the traditional rural community health providers with the formal health delivery system in a cost-effective way. The increased number of deliveries under trained personnel, and increased referrals to health units, led to a reduction of about 50 percent in the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in three years

Fighting the insidious killer : African teenagers battle HIV/AIDS through ICT|Combattre le tueur insidieux de jeunes adolescents africains se battent contre le VIH/SIDA par les TIC

BLOOME, Anthony
2002

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Information and communication technologies complement other informtion campaigns designed to reach young people. The technologies that can link educators and activists - such as e-mail, CD-ROMs, discussion lists and the world wide web also have the potential to reach young people who use technology for fun, for learning and for communication, so long as they have access to these resources

The application of GIS technology to equitably distribute fieldworker workload in a large, rural South African health survey

TANSER, F C
2002

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An accessibility model within a geographical information system (GIS) is used to predict average inter-homestead walking times and subdivide the study area into units of equal completion time. The method could be used to ergonomically design home-based care and tuberculosis directly observed treatment programmes and inform the siting of health facilities. The paper highlights the use of GIS technology as a powerful tool in developing countries

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