Project Lead(s): Jean Christophe Rusatira
Issue
Lack of access to health and medical education for doctors in the developing world is a serious global health problem.
Rwanda, with a population of 11 million, has only one medical school.
Shortages of properly trained medical staff, a lack of involvement of the private sector and a shortage of computer and mobile technologies for continuous medical education contribute to the poor-quality healthcare system.
Solution
The main goal of the project was to develop VuraWiga – a native Android application to support and educate Rwandan health professionals by gathering, managing and promoting common and effective practices related to patient care.
Interviews and needs assessment were conducted with healthcare providers to develop insight into their educational needs, to enable the design of an easy and accessible way to meet these needs, thereby reducing the use of ineffective techniques.
Two usability studies were conducted by a Rwandese doctor that contributed to the final development of the app.
Outcome
Baseline and needs assessment data collection were conducted in all 44 district hospitals throughout Rwanda, and the research team collected qualitative data through interviews with 16 general practitioners and 97 self-administered online questionnaires for rural areas.
Information about the app was disseminated in conferences and through JMR publications.
The project team plans to expand availability of the app to 581 medical doctors in district hospitals and referral hospitals that host medical post-graduate students.
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Rwanda has agreed to financially cost-share the scaling of the Phase I innovation.
Talks have been initiated with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to collaborate in developing a software version that is more adapted to maternal and child health.