Information behavior” is the currently preferred term used to describe the many ways in which human beings interact with information, in particular, the ways in which people seek and utilize information. The broad history of research on information-seeking behavior over the last 50–60 years is reviewed, major landmarks are identified, and current directions in research are discussed.

Information behavior

Mobile health (mHealth) encompasses the use of mobile telecommunication and multimedia into increasingly mobile and wireless health care delivery systems and has the potential to improve tens of thousands of lives each year. The ubiquity and penetration of mobile phones presents the opportunity to leverage mHealth for maternal and newborn care, particularly in under-resourced health ecosystems. Moreover, the slow progress and funding constraints in attaining the Millennium Development Goals for child and maternal health encourage harnessing innovative measures, such as mHealth, to address these public health priorities. This literature review provides a schematic overview of the outcomes, barriers, and strategies of integrating mHealth to improve prenatal and neonatal health outcomes. Six electronic databases were methodically searched using predetermined search terms. Retrieved articles were then categorized according to themes identified in previous studies. A total of 34 articles and reports contributed to the findings with information about the use and limitations of mHealth for prenatal and neonatal healthcare access and delivery. Health systems have implemented mHealth programs to facilitate emergency medical responses, point-of-care support, health promotion and data collection. However, the policy infrastructure for funding, coordinating and guiding the sustainable adoption of prenatal and neonatal mHealth services remains under-developed. The integration of mobile health for prenatal and newborn health services has demonstrated positive outcomes, but the sustainability and scalability of operations requires further feedback from and evaluation of ongoing programs.

Special delivery: an analysis of mHealth in maternal and newborn health programs and their outcomes around the world.

http://www.ssu.ac.ir/fileadmin/templates/fa/daneshkadaha/daneshkade-behdasht/manager_group/upload_manager_group/manabe_elmi/maghalate_amuzeshi/english/4olympiad-sathbandi__gheir_vagi/maternity_referral_system_3.pdf

Maternity referral systems in developing countries : Current knowledge and future research needs

Health care workers in developing countries continue to lack access to basic, practical information to enable them to deliver safe, effective care. This paper provides the first phase of a broader literature review of the information and learning needs of health care providers in developing countries. A Medline search revealed 1762 papers, of which 149 were identified as potentially relevant to the review. Thirty-five of these were found to be highly relevant. Eight of the 35 studies looked at information needs as perceived by health workers, patients and family/community members; 14 studies assessed the knowledge of health workers; and 8 looked at health care practice. The studies suggest a gross lack of knowledge about the basics on how to diagnose and manage common diseases, going right across the health workforce and often associated with suboptimal, ineffective and dangerous health care practices. If this level of knowledge and practice is representative, as it appears to be, it indicates that modern medicine, even at a basic level, has largely failed the majority of the world's population. The information and learning needs of family caregivers and primary and district health workers have been ignored for too long. Improving the availability and use of relevant, reliable health care information has enormous potential to radically improve health care worldwide.

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Information needs of health care workers in developing countries: a literature review with a focus on Africa

OBJECTIVE: To analyse on the basis of the literature the potential of mobile phones to improve maternal health services in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). METHODS: Wide search for scientific and grey literature using various terms linked to: maternal health mobile telecommunication and LMIC. Applications requiring an internet connection were excluded as this is not widely available in LMIC yet. RESULTS: Few projects exist in this field and little evidence is available as yet on the impact of mobile phones on the quality of maternal health services. Projects focus mainly on the delay in receiving care--that is in recognizing the need and making the decision to seek care--and the delay in arriving at the health facility. This is achieved by connecting lesser trained health workers to specialists and coordination of referrals. Ongoing projects focus on empowering women to seek health care. DISCUSSION: There is broad agreement that access to communication is one of several essential components to improve maternal health services and hence the use of mobile phones has much potential. However there is a need for robust evidence on constraints and impacts especially when financial and human resources will be invested. Concurrently other ways in which mobile phones can be used to benefit maternal health services need to be further explored taking into consideration privacy and confidentiality. (c) 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Improvement of maternal health services through the use of mobile phones

This note reviews the Rural Extended Services and Care for Ultimate Emergency Relief (RESCUER) project in Uganda, started as an initiative to address strategies for expanding the maternal referral system, and improving the Traditional Birth Attendants (ABE) assistance. The project design addressed the high maternal mortality problem, which was implemented by a multi-sectoral Iganga district task force, and supported by an overall monitoring, implemented by the Ministry of Health, and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Lessons highlight how the mutual exclusive aspects of communication, transportation, and quality of services delivery, did however promote a successful interaction; how the impact of technology, appropriately considered the local problems, and conditions in Uganda; and, how institutional capacity, built on existing infrastructure, and local capacity, adequately included the traditional knowledge systems.

Maternal health care in rural Uganda : leveraging traditional and modern knowledge systems

Maternal Health Care in Rural Uganda: Leveraging Traditional and Modern Knowledge Systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the accessibility and use of health information among primary health care providers The study focused on women and health workers' experiences with information in rural UgandaDesign/methodology/approach – Face‐to‐face interviews (82) were conducted using an interview schedule that consisted of open questions and one relating to health information critical incidents A holistic inductive paradigm was used with a grounded theory analysis An “Interaction‐value model” emerged from the study The model was driven by the value and impact of information, unlike previous information models which have been driven by information needsFindings – The findings have a number of implications for improving information provision, and further researchOriginality/value – This study has demonstrated that, although an information need could trigger off an information activity, the subsequent information processes could only be sustained by the value of information Th

Maria G. N. Musoke

Papers

Maternal health care in rural Uganda : leveraging traditional and modern knowledge systems

Maternal Health Care in Rural Uganda: Leveraging Traditional and Modern Knowledge Systems

Information behaviour of primary health care providers in rural Uganda: An interaction‐value model

Strategies for addressing the university library users’ changing needs and practices in Sub-Saharan Africa

Information and its value to health workers in rural Uganda: a qualitative perspective*: Value of information to health workers in rural Uganda