title: Mobile Technology for Empowering Health Workers in Underserved Communities: New Approaches to Facilitate the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As global mobile phone penetration increases, direct health information communication from hard-to-reach communities is becoming commonplace. Mobile health (mHealth) tools that enable disease control programs to benefit from this information, while simultaneously empowering community members to take control of their own health, are vital to the goal of universal health care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to highlight the development of the Liverpool mHealth Suite (LMS), which has been designed to address this need and improve health services for neglected tropical diseases being targeted for global elimination, such as lymphatic filariasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LMS has two main communication approaches-short message service and mobile phone apps-to facilitate real-time mass drug administration (MDA) coverage, reporting patient numbers, managing stock levels of treatment supplies, and exchanging health information to improve the quality of care of those affected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LMS includes the MeasureSMS-MDA tool to improve drug supplies and MDA coverage rates in real-time (currently being trialed in urban Tanzania); the MeasureSMS-Morbidity tool to map morbidity, including lymphedema and hydrocele cases (initially piloted in rural Malawi and Ghana, then extended to Ethiopia, and scaled up to large urban areas in Bangladesh and Tanzania); the LyMSS-lymphedema management supply system app to improve distribution of treatments (trialed for 6 months in Malawi with positive impacts on health workers and patients); and the HealthFront app to improve education and training (in development with field trials planned).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current success and scale-up of the LMS by many community health workers in rural and urban settings across Africa and Asia highlights the value of this simple and practical suite of tools that empowers local health care workers to contribute to local, national, and global elimination of disease.
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Department of Parasitology Liverpool United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1754-4894
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.affiliation: Tripod Software Limited Salford Innovation Forum Manchester United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7964-5626
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Molineux
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Department of Parasitology Liverpool United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1531-8375
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.affiliation: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Department of Parasitology Liverpool United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3330-7629
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kelly-Hope
keywords: LF; NTDs; SMS; apps; community engagement; elephantiasis; lymphatic filariasis; mhealth; neglected tropical diseases; smartphones