title: Role of mobile phone technology in health education in Asian and African countries: a systematic review.
abstract: The objective of this systematic review was to explore the role of mobile phone technologies in delivering health education programs in Asian and African countries. The search engine used was Pubmed during 2008-2011. Randomised controlled trials or controlled studies that improved health outcomes through delivery of health educational interventions using cell phone or text messaging were included in the review. Results showed studies from six Asian and African countries including Philippines, China, Kenya, South Korea, Taiwan and India. Mobile phone technology has shown to improve health outcomes for chronic disease conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Additional conditions include obesity and cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance. Other studies have shown improvement in self management of breast cancer and post-hospitalisation HIV and pharmaceutical care. Overall results of the present review showed that mobile phone technologies can be a possible solution to improve healthcare outcome.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health Informatics, Asian Institute of Public Health, Bhubaneswar, Orissa 751002, India.
authors.forename: Madhusmita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.affiliation: Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Ashoo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.affiliation: Centre for Global Health and Development and Department of Health Services Research Administration, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Centre, 984385 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4385, USA.
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joshi
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D001208:Asia; D040421:Cell Phone; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D017216:Telemedicine
keywords: China; HIV; India; Kenya; Philippines; SMS; South Korea; Taiwan; breast cancer; cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidance; cell phones; chronic diseases; diabetes; electronic healthcare; e–healthcare; health education; health outcomes; heart disease; hypertension; mobile phone technology; mobile phones; obesity; pharmaceutical care; self management; short message service; text messages