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Background: Ward-Based Outreach Teams' (WBOTs) use of mobile technologies can promote better quality and improved health services for populations in low- and middle-income countries. However, the implementation of such systems is fraught with threats to sustainability. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of users' views and experiences of the implementation of mHealth in a selected sub-district in North West Province, South Africa. Methods: The study was qualitative, exploratory and descriptive. Data were collected from community health workers (CHWs) (n = 24) and outreach team leaders (OTLs) (n = 4) who used mobile devices loaded with the Mobenzi application through semi-structured focus group interviews, using an interview guide. Creswell's stages of thematic analysis were used for data analysis, and codes, categories and themes were validated with the participants. Results: Three themes emerged from the findings, namely the transition from a paper-based system to an electronic system; the use of the application; and reverting to paper-based documentation. The findings revealed that WBOTs considered the mHealth application as useful, easy to use, and supportive to their workflow. They experienced some technical challenges and lamented the inaccessibility of technicians. The mobile initiative's termination caused distress among the participants, especially CHWs who had to revert to paper-based documentation to capture community health data. OTLs were concerned about the quality of health data being captured in the absence of the application. Conclusions: The study concluded that community-based health care programmes that use WBOTs and mHealth technologies are essential in strengthening the health care system. WBOTs are facilitators for improving access to health care. Policy-makers and district managers will gain useful insights if they engage application users in discussions regarding future mobile health interventions for household and community-based care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers (CHWs) play a significant role in Primary health Care due to their proximity to households, communities and the health care system. Many studies focus on CHWs and the work they do. However, few have examined their experiences and identity and how that might influence how they view and perform their roles. The objectives of the study were to: Describe the role of CHWs in community-based health care in Northern Cape, Identify the perceived barriers and enablers to CHWs role performance, Explore CHWs views regarding the support from the communities and the formal healthcare system in Northern Cape. An exploratory qualitative design using focus groups was adopted. Forty-six (46) CHWs were purposively selected using the critical case sampling approach. Data were collected through three focus group interviews in three regions. Analysis followed the Graneheim & Lundman thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from data: perceived contribution to Primary Health Care, recognition of CHWs role, measures to improve working conditions. Findings showed that CHWs were engaged in various health and social care roles, they believed that they made a significant contribution to PHC, and that the health system persistently relied on their services. The enabler for finding meaning in their work was the positive community response and the good relations they had with the team leaders. The major barrier was the structure of the CHWs programme and the perceived lack of support by the government. The complex issues CHWs address in the community call for a review of their roles and workload as well as the support they receive from the formal healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ease of access to vast amounts of information presents significant opportunities and challenges for nurses in the community as they seek to base their practice on the best available evidence. Growing expectations around evidence-based practice have developed alongside developments in evidence synthesis, which adopts robust approaches to identifying, appraising and synthesising key evidence for clinical decision-making. The context in which evidence-based practice occurs is key, and this article discusses the skills and knowledge needed for community nurses to discern how evidence and information should influence their decisions to review and change approaches to clinical practice. Importantly, if nurses understand the status of evidence underpinning areas of practice, they can ensure that the preferences and needs of patients and families are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers, led by trained nurses who are linked to a health facility are well positioned to play an important role in improving health of the communities in low and middle-income countries. The South African Department of Health has implemented various mobile health programmes to improve community-based services. This paper presents a component of a study that evaluates mHealth interventions in South Africa. The study was conducted in Pretoria urban and semi-urban areas, with the aim of understanding how community health workers experience mHealth technologies. Three focus group interviews were conducted and data analysis followed Thorne Interpretive Description framework. An overarching theme was that the mHealth application provided clinical content that empowered community health workers to develop confidence, higher efficacy, independent decisions making and experience higher social standing with their clients. This in turn, translated into informed clients. There is evidence of strengthened capacity in the use of mHealth technology and application of knowledge to provide an engaged client care. Functionalities in the application allowed timely exchange of information and decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community Health Workers (CHW) perform important healthcare and health promotion in many low and middle income countries. They are increasingly supported in their work by the use of mHealth. This study aims to explore how mHealth services can support the everyday work for CHWs when delivering home care in rural areas in South Africa. A single case study was performed, mapping CHWs workflow and investigating where and when CHW can be supported by mHealth services. Despite the very positive feedback from the CHWs and the fact that the studied mHealth solutions appears to support the majority of the important activities in the CHWs work process, the application is no longer in use. Financial and strategic decisions are behind the discontinuation of the project, further stressing the importance of taking all socio-technical dimensions into account when evaluating success or failure of implementation projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]