| Abstract: | ObjectiveThe objective of this review is to identify enabling and inhibiting factors for mHealth adoption in low resource settings, by giving emphasis on the stakeholders representing the caregiving side. Another objective of this study is to support implementation agencies (governmental and non-governmental) in designing scalable mHealth interventions.MethodsA PEO (Population, Exposure, Outcome) approach was used to formulate the review question. A pre-defined search strategy was implemented; Google Scholar, PubMed and gray literature were searched using alternate terms for “mHealth”, “adoption” and “developing countries”. CASP [7] tools were used to assess the quality of selected evidence. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria on search results and critical appraisal of the selected evidence, twelve studies were selected for the review.ResultsAdoption factors operated at the levels of organization, facility-based service provider and frontline health worker. Engagement of end users during design phase, informed clinical decision making, utilization of mHealth evidence, employers’ tolerance of some personal use of devices, automation of tasks and user-friendliness of application are key enabling factors for mHealth adoption in developing countries. On the contrary, absence of national policy on mHealth, poor knowledge base on mHealth, using two systems in parallel, duplication of efforts, poor Internet connectivity and shortage of electricity are important inhibiting factors for mHealth adoption.ConclusionsThe review provides an insight about the challenges and opportunities related to mHealth adoption in developing countries. Implementation agencies should give careful consideration to these factors before designing and deploying any mHealth-enabled intervention. It is also important to understand the concept of incremental innovation so that resources spent on pilot interventions are optimized and full potential is achieved. |
