INDUSTRY WATCH
submitted via SMS. This feature allows
every health facility that has some
kind of connectivity to submit timely
reports. If there is no connectivity at
all at the time of data submission,
the form data is saved on the device
and once a connection is obtained
(either via Internet or SMS) the data is
automatically sent and a confirmation
is received by the user.
The app inherits the data security of
the DHIS2 application (including a user
administration module whereby users
are assigned to various levels of access),
which is managed by the MoHS. The
data collected via eIDSR is made
available to all MoH disease surveillance
personal at district and national level
as well as technical partners such as
CDC and WHO. The data is also used
as input for various reporting, including
a weekly epi bulletin that is shared
nationally and internationally with key
public health stakeholders.
In order to ensure no personal patient
information is at risk, the data collected
is captured at aggregate level. The
device which contains the app also
stores submissions locally (on the
Evelyn Castle, Executive Director, eHealth Africa
tablet) and the app is accessible via
a login with username and password
to ensure data cannot be accessed
by unauthorised individuals. The
devices used for data capturing also
include dedicated device management
software that allows eHealth to track
the device’s physical location and if a
device goes missing the device can be
locked remotely, as long as it has an
Internet connection.
Sierra Leone’s disease surveillance and
reporting has improved drastically as
a result of this new process. According
to a recent CDC article, weekly disease
reporting improved from occurring in
35% of health facilities, to occurring
in 96% of all Sierra Leonean health
facilities. This new disease reporting
system has also cut the number of data
entry errors in half and verifies data
60% faster than the previous paper-
based reporting system.
A screenshot of the eISDR app
www.intelligentcio.com
The eIDSR enhances Sierra Leonne’s
“eIDSR IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF TAKING
A PROVEN SET OF
GUIDELINES AND
MODIFYING THE
IMPLEMENTATION
METHODOLOGY TO
BE AS EFFECTIVE
AS POSSIBLE IN
REMOTE AND HARD
TO REACH AREAS.”
preparedness to identify and respond
to outbreaks and prevent outbreaks
from unnecessarily developing into
epidemics, as was the case with Ebola
in 2014. By rapidly capturing health
data that is easy to understand, health
officials will know where to target
resources that can slow the spread of a
disease both within country and beyond
the borders.
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