Dear GDHN colleagues,

I would like to invite you to join HIFA. Healthcare Information For All (HIFA) is a global community of practice that is committed to improve healthcare by promoting the availability and use of reliable healthcare information. It has 20,000 members from 180 countries and is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with WHO since 2022.

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In addition to our ongoing spontaneous discussions on global health we are holding a deepdive on the informal use of mobile phones, in collaboration with Makerere University, WHO and Norwegian research institutes. Details below. Join here (free):

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mHealth-Innovate: Exploring healthcare workers informal use of personal mobile phones - Research findings and implications for policy and practice

Watch the video (9 Minutes):?

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Exploring healthcare workers’ informal use of personal mobile phones
- We know anecdotally that healthcare workers use their own phones to plug gaps in the healthcare system
- This research project aims to explore how they are doing this, the reasons for this, possible benefits and harms, and ways forward
- The mHealth-Innovate research consortium has worked since 2021 on a multi-year project involving:

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* A HIFA thematic discussion - published in Oxford Open Digital Health. Glenton C et al. 2023: Using an online community of practice to explore the informal use of mobile phones by health workers

* A qualitative evidence synthesis - published in the Cochrane Library. Glenton C et al. 2024: Healthcare workers’ informal uses of mobile phones and other mobile devices to support their work: a qualitative evidence synthesis
* Two primary research projects in Uganda to explore the issues with health workers and with policymakers (2024) - Publication in progress.

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OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH AND FINDINGS

Read the summary (12 pages)?

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IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE

In 2025 HIFA's role is to review the research findings collectively and discuss the implications for policy and practice.

In the FIRST phase, from now until 21 April, we shall discuss the findings informally. Do the findings resonate with your experience?

Specifically we shall revisit the findings of our 2023 and 2024 papers and invite HIFA members to comment. We shall explore a range of questions that arise from the findings.

In the SECOND phase, from 22 April to 25 May, we shall build on all of the above to look to the future, with a structured thematic discussion to explore strategies for addressing the downsides of informal mobile phone use while retaining the benefits.

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JOIN THE DISCUSSION!
If you are not already a member of the HIFA forum, please join us (free):??- all interactions are taking place on the forum.

French, Portuguese and Spanish speakers are invited to join HIFA-French, HIFA-Portuguese and HIFA-Spanish

For more information, see the Health-Innovate project webpage

Are you planning a research project? Learn how HIFA can add value to your research.

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THE PARTNERS
The MHEALTH-INNNOVATE project is a partnership between Makerere University, Uganda; the Norwegian Institute of Public Health; Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Oslo, Johns Hopkins University; Health Information for All; and the World Health Organization.

Funded by the Research Council of Norway

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