Women and Digital health solutions have potential to ease healthcare access
Digital health solutions can help reduce costs by streamlining processes, automating administrative tasks, and providing access to data and analytics. They can also help improve patient outcomes by providing access to personalised care, remote monitoring, and real-time data. Additionally, digital health solutions can help bridge the gap between providers and patients, allowing for better communication and collaboration.
Digital health can be used to improve access to healthcare services, such as telemedicine, which can provide remote access to healthcare professionals. This can help bridge the gap between rural and urban areas, as well as between different countries. Additionally, digital health can be used to improve the quality of care, such as through the use of electronic health records, which can help healthcare providers’ better track and manage patient care. It can also be used to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery, such as through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate certain processes.
This can help reduce the burden on healthcare providers, freeing up their time to focus on providing quality care. Finally, digital health can be used to improve the affordability of healthcare services, such as through the use of mobile payment systems, which can help reduce the cost of accessing healthcare services. It is an important lever for achieving universal health coverage in Uganda and the rest of Africa through improving access, quality, efficiency, and affordability of healthcare services, which are all essential for achieving universal health coverage.
Uganda and much of Africa face challenges including inadequate infrastructure, lack of access to healthcare services, lack of trained healthcare personnel, and lack of financial resources. In addition, there is a lack of awareness of health issues and limited access to health information.
During the second International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), the African Women in Digital Health movement was launched in Kigali.
African Women in Digital Health is a multi-sectoral movement that brings together stakeholders from a variety of fields, including digital, gender, and global health. Its goal is to close the gender digital divide and ensure efficient collaboration across all fields to support women’s leadership and participation in digital health. Interventions directed at policymakers, the business community, and other stakeholders will concentrate on increasing the skills of women in the digital industry, fostering a climate that supports women entrepreneurs, and funding women’s digital health projects.
A barcode system, for example, has been piloted in some Ugandan health facilities as a means to improve stock management and reduce stock-outs. The barcode system is used to track the movement of medical supplies from the storeroom to the point of use and back. When a health worker scans a barcode on a medical supply, the system records the date, time, and location of the scan. This information can be used to generate reports on stock levels and consumption patterns. The barcode system has been found to be an effective way to improve stock management and reduce stock-outs. However, the system is not currently being used in all Ugandan health facilities. There is a need to standardize the barcode system and to ensure that all health facilities have the necessary computer resources to use the system.
A digital data management system can help to improve the quality and accuracy of data collected at healthcare facilities. This system can also help to improve communication between healthcare personnel and patients. Additionally, the system can help to improve the efficiency of data entry and analysis
To better understand how people use technology to manage their health, a team of researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania surveyed over 1,700 people about their smartphone and health app usage. The survey found that the majority of people use their smartphones to manage their health in some way. People most commonly use their smartphones to track their health data (such as weight, blood pressure, and diet), monitor their symptoms, and access health information. People also use their smartphones to connect with other people who have similar health concerns, to find support and advice, and to track their progress.
The survey also found that people who use health apps are more likely to report better health outcomes. People who use health apps are more likely to have better blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, and to be more active. The study’s authors say that these findings suggest that smartphones and health apps can be effective tools for managing health. They say that future research should focus on how to best design and use health apps to improve health outcomes.
Internet access makes it very simple to access health-related information. Smartphone and internet usage have increased in Uganda, and these developments should be taken advantage of to engage patients, particularly young people, with innovations that are specifically catered to their requirements and the availability of technology for various patient demographics.
Culled from: https://www.monitor.co.ug
