Telepsychiatry in South Africa – present and future

The recent progress in telepsychiatry results from advancing technology and videoconferencing as an effective alternative to classic face-to-face psychiatric interaction, in terms of both results and cost-effectiveness. The wide range of applications of telepsychiatry is outlined – in particular, emergency, forensic, prison and adolescent psychiatry. Attitudes of patients and the providers of psychiatric services are discussed, and a short account is given of the place of tele-education in psychiatric teaching. The advantages of telepsychiatry are outlined and its limitations. Lastly, the limited experience and relevance of telepsychiatry in South Africa (and hence for other developing countries) are presented. The conclusion is that telepsychiatry is well established, its successes documented, and that it should be applied in planning future public health services in South Africa

A review of mHealth interventions for diabetes in pregnancy

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has high morbidity and risk for mortality when mismanaged. This is particularly relevant in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), where GDM related complications occur at a higher rate, with worse outcomes, due to a lack of healthcare resources. Mobile health (mHealth) presents an opportunity to improve the management of GDM in LMIC. We conducted a meta-analysis, which found that using mHealth as an intervention for GDM caused a statistically significant decrease of 0.38 mmol/L (95% CI -0.52 mmol/L to -0.23 mmol/L) in overall blood glucose levels during pregnancy compared to the control group. There was a significantly higher probability of vaginal deliveries in the intervention group than the control group (risk ratio (RR) = 1.18, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.36). It was less likely for new-borns from the intervention group to be diagnosed with hypoglycaemia than new-borns from the control group (RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.93). This review found evidence for mHealth offering improvements in biological, maternal, perinatal, cognitive and economic outcomes by aiding in the management of GDM. This could be particularly important to LMIC where the lack of resources and high healthcare-related costs contribute to the mismanagement of GDM

A Review of ICT Systems for HIV/AIDS and Anti-Retroviral Treatment Management in South Africa

HIV/AIDS is a major global health problem. In South Africa, it is estimated that 5.4 million people are infected by HIV, out of a population of nearly 48 million, giving a prevalence rate of about 11%. About 600,000 individuals are infected with AIDS. Furthermore, the estimates show that, by mid-2006, some 711,000 people were in need of anti-retroviral treatment (ART), while 225,000 were actually receiving it

Prove your hypothesis : 2nd South African Telemedicine and eHealth Conference & 16th ISfTeH International Conference

Conference Theme: Prove your hypothesis2nd South African Telemedicine and eHealth Conference & 16th ISfTeH ConferenceHeld in Cape Town, South Africa, 14-15 September 2011The Southern African Telemedicine conference has extended its reach in 2011 and now includes eHealth and other relevant areas such as e-Learning, mHealth and innovation. Our partner, ISFTeH, is also hosting its 16th International Telemedicine & eHealth Conference with its SA partners this year. This year’s conference is significant as not only does it have important academic components, but it also has a very strong presence from the government. The government’s role is extremely important as it guides all stakeholders and role players in the future direction of Telemedicine and eHealth. The academic component of the conference ties in closely with the theme ‘prove your hypothesis’. Prove your hypothesis relates to the presentations of research findings in the area of Telemedicine & eHealth. A stringent peer review process was followed and the conference proceeding includes quality abstracts based on sound research methodologies. The research presented in this conference is very valuable as it informs the next stage of the process in solidifying the Telemedicine & mHealth; eHealth environment, which is policy development. South Africans can now look forward to policy development in telemedicine, which will help to move from research to sustainable solutions that will help to ensure that healthcare is delivered in an efficient, effective manner.Medical Research CouncilMTN FoundationDepartment of Science & Technology, Republic of South Afric

mHealth opportunities to address global health challenges for adolescents: scoping review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Adverse health behavior during the adolescent phase contributes to the global burden of chronic disease and preventable disability from physical injury. It is essential to encourage positive health behavior among adolescents, such as on-time vaccination, safer sex practices, and early recognition of infectious conditions and mental illness before complications arise from unprotected sexual debut or undetected illness. OBJECTIVE The aim of the research is to determine opportunities for mHealth innovation among adolescents. METHODS A scoping review was undertaken. Primary studies, deemed eligible, included adolescents (defined as 10-19 years of age) of any gender, location or ethnicity, with access to a mobile phone or wireless device used for a health-related outcome. Studies reported on health outcomes related to HIV, TB, vaccine-preventable disease, depression, suicide, road traffic accidents, and substances other than tobacco use. Purely qualitative study designs and voice-only calls were excluded. RESULTS The initial search retrieved 3498 studies. Out of 22 studies that met the eligibility criteria, the majority focussed on sexual and reproductive health. Only 12 studies clearly reported behavioral and biological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The scoping review identified key gaps in the research, which creates an opportunity to develop innovative mHealth solutions for adolescents. The gaps include an assessment of whether mHealth improves the management of the most common global adolescent conditions. </sec

Can digital health support COVID-19 contact tracing? A scoping review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted every country globally, infecting almost 7 million people. The respiratory disease is spread through oral and nasal droplets and fomites (surface contact). Preventative measures to slow the transmission includes social distancing, wearing masks, and hygiene practices. Contact tracing has been identified as an essential preventative measure in the management of COVID-19. Digital health solutions are being used in the management and prevention of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE The aim of the scoping review is to: (1) identify the types of digital health solutions used for COVID-19 contact tracing (2) assessing the impact of the solution and (3) determining the research and innovation gaps. METHODS This review utilized scoping review methodologies to effectively, efficiently, and rapidly gather evidence related to COVID-19, contact tracing and digital health. The framework to evaluate the evidence consisted of five stages. A search strategy was developed, and relevant articles was retrieved from PubMed, EBSCO and Web of Science. Articles was screened for eligibility using the research question as a guide. RESULTS A total of 33 was found from the various databases, 16 duplicates was removed. The title and abstract of 17 articles was screened, 3 articles was removed. The full-text articles were screened, and 9 articles was excluded as they did not include any data as they were presented in the form of editorials, commentary or viewpoints. The results highlighted the use of digital technology to aid in contact tracing. The primary focus of the applications was finding the geographical location of the contacts. CONCLUSIONS Although the COVID-19 pandemic is a recent ongoing event, the limited articles published provides key information to strengthen future digital health contact tracing initiatives. The readiness checklist could assist with the current and future contact tracing initiatives. </sec

A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016&ndash;2021

Drowning is a serious public health concern. Low-and-middle-income countries are the most affected by drowning, as they carry 90% of the global drowning burden. The purpose of this retrospective epidemiological study is to provide an overview of fatal drownings in South Africa between 2016 and 2021. The data used for the study were obtained from the South African Police Service. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Statistical analyses included a t-test and chi-square test. The results indicate that the average number of fatal drownings per annum is 1477 in South Africa, with an average drowning rate of 2.54 per 100,000 population for the period 2016 to 2021. The KwaZulu-Natal province had the highest incidence of drowning. The 0&ndash;4-year-age group has the highest prevalence of drowning among all the age categories. More males drowned in South Africa compared to females

A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016&ndash;2021

Drowning is a serious public health concern. Low-and-middle-income countries are the most affected by drowning, as they carry 90% of the global drowning burden. The purpose of this retrospective epidemiological study is to provide an overview of fatal drownings in South Africa between 2016 and 2021. The data used for the study were obtained from the South African Police Service. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Statistical analyses included a t-test and chi-square test. The results indicate that the average number of fatal drownings per annum is 1477 in South Africa, with an average drowning rate of 2.54 per 100,000 population for the period 2016 to 2021. The KwaZulu-Natal province had the highest incidence of drowning. The 0&ndash;4-year-age group has the highest prevalence of drowning among all the age categories. More males drowned in South Africa compared to females