Effectiveness of a Mobile Short-Message-Service-Based Disease Outbreak Alert System in Kenya.

Toda, Mitsuru; Njeru, Ian; Zurovac, Dejan; O-Tipo, Shikanga; Kareko, David; Mwau, Matilu; Morita, Kouichi

Toda, Mitsuru; Njeru, Ian; Zurovac, Dejan; O-Tipo, Shikanga; Kareko, David; Mwau, Matilu; Morita, Kouichi.

Emerg Infect Dis ; 22(4): 711-5, 2016 Apr.

Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26981628

ABSTRACT

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a text-messaging system used for notification of disease outbreaks in Kenya. Health facilities that used the system had more timely notifications than those that did not (19.2% vs. 2.6%), indicating that technology can enhance disease surveillance in resource-limited settings.

Subject(s)

Anthrax/prevention & control; Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control; Dracunculiasis/prevention & control; Measles/prevention & control; Q Fever/prevention & control; Text Messaging/statistics & numerical data; Anthrax/epidemiology; Cell Phone; Disease Notification/methods; Dracunculiasis/epidemiology; Epidemiological Monitoring; Health Facilities; Humans; Inservice Training; Kenya/epidemiology; Measles/epidemiology; Q Fever/epidemiology; Workforce

Key words

Kenya; bioterrorism and preparedness; cell phones; communicable diseases; developing countries; disease notification; disease outbreaks; epidemiology; public health surveillance; randomized controlled trial

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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Q Fever / Disease Outbreaks / Dracunculiasis / Text Messaging / Measles / Anthrax Type of study: Clinical_trials / Evaluation_studies / Screening_studies Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Africa Language: En Journal: Emerg Infect Dis Journal subject: DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS Year: 2016 Type: Article

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