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BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

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Open Access 01-12-2009 | Technical advance

The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa

Authors: Mark Tomlinson, Wesley Solomon, Yages Singh, Tanya Doherty, Mickey Chopra, Petrida Ijumba, Alexander C Tsai, Debra Jackson

Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making | Issue 1/2009

Abstract

Background

To investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained and successfully supervised to collect data using mobile phones in a large baseline survey

Methods

A web-based system was developed to allow electronic surveys or questionnaires to be designed on a word processor, sent to, and conducted on standard entry level mobile phones.

Results

The web-based interface permitted comprehensive daily real-time supervision of CHW performance, with no data loss. The system permitted the early detection of data fabrication in combination with real-time quality control and data collector supervision.

Conclusions

The benefits of mobile technology, combined with the improvement that mobile phones offer over PDA's in terms of data loss and uploading difficulties, make mobile phones a feasible method of data collection that needs to be further explored.

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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/9/51/prepub

Title: The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa
Authors: Mark Tomlinson
Wesley Solomon
Yages Singh
Tanya Doherty
Mickey Chopra
Petrida Ijumba
Alexander C Tsai
Debra Jackson
Publication date: 01-12-2009
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6947
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6947-9-51

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The use of mobile phones as a data collection tool: A report from a household survey in South Africa

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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