Diagnosing the Digital Divide: Exploring Rich Media's Potential for Improving our Global Health Information Systems

Abstract

Our objective is to explore the uses of rich media devices in strengthening health care systems with poor infrastructure by connecting health workers in East Africa to visual educational materials, to each other and to academics and health professionals outside of East Africa. We wish to facilitate interaction, idea sharing and knowledge transfer. Health systems, health workers and patients in East Africa suffer greatly from the lack of connections between components of the health system. Paid and volunteer health workers face both vertical and horizontal isolation from their surrounding health system due to geography and regional infrastructure limits on technology. This lack of relevant community limits their ability to interact both with those higher up the referral chain as well as with parallel services in the area.

These problems will be addressed in two research phases. Initially, we will create a user-generated content site, which will foster this interaction, and allow information to be exchanged quickly and democratically. We will then explore ways that rich media and locative technology can be incorporated into the site in order to improve and enhance this system of interaction, idea sharing and knowledge transfer. Our user-generated approach to health systems strengthening will allow incorporation of other geographic areas coping with HIV/AIDS. This rich-media environment has the potential to create a global community of health workers who are better supported, are more supportive and are better informed than ever before.