Chapter 16: Technology for Creating Better Professional Teams to Strengthen Healthcare Systems

Abstract

One of the most salient components of effective healthcare delivery is the ability of professionals from all different parts of the healthcare sector to collaborate in a collegiate, expeditious manner. This chapter explores ways in which technology can facilitate such collaboration in a way that ensures that patients receive optimal healthcare services. We also explore how these improvements are in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, through various cases studies, specific modalities through which healthcare professionals can improve their teamwork for the good of the people they serve. Additionally, given the barriers to technology they face, we examine how healthcare professionals in underserved areas can also benefit from the professional education offered by these technologies.

The focus is finally shifting towards improving health systems beyond individual donor-driven and siloed projects and programs that deliver health services but do not strengthen the country’s health system. Technology has a major role in driving this shift in focus, leading to innovation and the implementation of new development strategies as well as encouraging results. That most countries have failed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and are not on track to achieve the SDGs suggests we need to change the focus from global health initiatives and projects to building and strengthening health systems. Every year brings additional technological advances and improvements that allow better communication and documentation, which are necessary for a strong health system. Yet despite having better tools, challenges to making these tools available to healthcare providers in developing countries continue to prevent them from delivering quality healthcare services. This failure to transfer existing knowledge and skills slows the implementation of many simple, effective, and life-saving interventions at a global scale such as vaccination, use of mosquito nets, and handwashing. Regardless, progress is being made, thanks to the work of healthcare providers who look for ways to improve the work they do every day to overcome challenges and deliver quality healthcare to prevent and treat diseases for billions of people.

In this chapter, we focus on the use of technology for creating better healthcare teams within a health system and on what works for improving the performance of healthcare professionals in developing countries. Specifically, we share our experience with the use of internet-based education to provide training and continuous support to healthcare providers. This chapter also identifies some of the resources already available, the challenges, existing gaps, and what to look for soon.

Appendix. Sample Health Scorecard

• Month: _______ Year:____ Facility:________________.

Clinic No. 1: Annual target/objective indicator	Monthly average score or result	Score/result this month	Progress to date	Action
1. Newborns delivered and visited in the first week	98/75	91/90	99% coverage	Improved schedule of home visits to ensure newborns are priority #1.
2. Immunize 900 infants and children	75	85	785	No action required
3. Provide antenatal care to 300 mothers	25	32	216	No action required
4. Monitor and investigate every maternal death	0	0	0	No action required
5. Monitor and investigate infant deaths	0	1	1	Traffic accident. Completed home visit and audit report.
6. Treat all new malaria cases	12	34	137	Planning for bed net re-impregnation month.
7. Treat and follow up all new and existing tuberculosis cases	2	3	27	All patients are on treatment.
8. Treat and follow up all new and existing HIV infections	3	2	23	All patients are in support program and referred to the PLWHA association
9. Supervise all deliveries (percentage of supervised deliveries)	80%	82%	81%	201 births in the district this month
10. Monitor and follow up low birth weight babies	0	3	19	All cases come from rural areas; team is working to improve referrals and antenatal care service at Aid Posts.
11. Report all adult deaths	3	1	17	One AIDS death; orphans are HIV− and in family custody and are visited every week to help overcome grief.
12. Number of home visits to follow up	80	78	632	All patients who defaulted treatment or missed antenatal visit were visited this month
Total indicators:	Coverage area:	Indicators on target:	Progress:	Number of emergency actions to be taken:
12	All 14 villages in coverage area have met their monthly targets	11	On track to meet annual objectives	None. All issues resolved