The overall goal of this project was to develop an interactive-computer system using cell phones for real-time collection of data by community health workers in Peru.
When it comes to effective data collection in remote areas of the developing world, less is often more. Cell-PREVEN was created to allow access to real-time data to members of the healthcare ecosystem in Peru. This interactive voice response system enables health workers in the field to collect and transmit data via basic mobile phones. The data is aggregated in a centralized database and made available to medical professionals, and the system is designed to send SMS or e-mail alerts if certain symptoms are recorded.
During a three-month pilot test, 797 reports were collected and 374 adverse events were recorded, 30 severe enough to trigger an SMS alert to a team leader. The pilot researchers believe that Cell-PREVEN demonstrates that, "cell phones are a feasible means of collecting and reporting data in real-time in remote communities... it’s not necessary to have the latest Palm Pilot or Tablet PC to create a sophisticated public health surveillance system.”
