Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

Programs

Cell-PREVEN

last updated Sep 27, 2011

Overview

Implementing organization: 
Proyecto Preven
Implementation Partner(s): 
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peru), Imperial College (London), University of Washington (Seattle) and Peru’s Ministry of Health
Legal Status: 
Private (not-for-profit)
Stage: 
Existing/expansion stage

Funding

Primary Source of Funding: 
Donor

Technology

Technology Used: 
Phones › SMS/MMS (Text Message), Phones › Voice
Summary: 

PREVEN, Community Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/AIDS, is a joint effort among research scientists from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Lima, Peru), the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) and Imperial College of London (UK), resulting from more than 10 years of collaborative work in the area of STD and HIV/AIDS.

Key program components: 

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.”

Additional Information

Technology Info
Purpose: Improving Data Management (Collection)
Purpose: Improving Data Management (Organization & Analysis)

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