Em Care Newsletter - July 2022

Overview

Project update 

• We’ve continued to make good progress with the Digital Adaptation Kit (L2). We are now in the final stages and aim to have the key components of the data dictionary, business workflows and decision tables completed, quality assured and published by end of July.
• As each stage of the L2 has been completed, it have been handed over to the team working on the FHIR Implementation Guide (L3). This team has been working to map the clinical content to the HL7/FHIR standard and publish it in a format that can be executed in the Em Care reference app (L4). The questionnaires for the L3 stages that have been completed are now being actively tested and debugged in the L4 app.
• Over the last 6 weeks, we have been conducting User Acceptance Testing (UAT) of the L4 app using mock-up videos and images of how key aspects of the clinical workflow will appear to the frontline health care workers. Between 20-25 participants have taken part, bringing experience from a range of different partner organizations and country perspectives. We are very grateful indeed for all the responses and suggestions that have been provided.
• All the UAT feedback is being collated and fed back to our L4 developers to incorporate into the user interface/user experience of the final reference app.
• One key piece of feedback we received was on the need to standardise the use of icons for child health in digital health apps. If you are working on a digital health project related to newborn or child health, and have developed a set of icons to represent stages of the clinical workflow / relevant services / diagnostics / tests, please do write and let us know.

Operational update 

• Following consultations with our Regional and Country office, we are delighted that the Ministry of Health in Iraq have agreed to take part in the Em Care pilot in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This will now take place in September 2022.
• We have also received a positive response from Cameroon to take part in the pilot in the African Region. The dates are still to be confirmed.
• If any partners have a presence in either of these countries, and would like to take part in or support the pilots, please let us know.

Featured Story In-Focus - Interview with Ministry of Health, Iraq

Dr. Majd Al Dakhola, Programme Manager of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness in the Ministry of Health Iraq and Dr. Hanan Hasan, National Professional Officer in WHO Iraq share their experience on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness and regional perspective of clinical-decision support in Iraq.

The WHO guideline for Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) as a strategy was formally endorsed by the Minister of Health (MoH) of Iraq in 1998. “The IMCI addressed the most important causes of under-five mortality and morbidity using an integrated approach in line with the primary health care policy. It is an evidence-based protocol for the management of common childhood diseases with a linear approach”, explained Dr. Majd.

In Iraq, IMCI supports the MoH in monitoring and evaluation of programmes for mortality and morbidity of children under the age of five. “IMCI ensures the combined treatment of major childhood illnesses including prevention of diseases. IMCI was a practical and feasible approach for reducing the burden of disease in children” stressed Dr. Hanan. 

IMCI consists of numerous clinical algorithms and training materials that assist nurses and other primary health-care workers to manage sick infants and children presenting to health facilities and were developed largely to suit low-resource settings. However, there were certain challenges to implement IMCI guidelines in Iraq. “The biggest challenge for the implementation of IMCI was access to remote areas or areas of armed conflict to provide training for IMCI programme. Expansion of it was difficult for MoH, so the services were provided by health volunteers and iNGOs” explained Dr. Majd.

The Em Care reference app aims to add value to the process of childcare and development and to guide the process of planning and implementation. Dr. Hanan highlighted that “Em Care as an application is the first of its kind in Iraq. The biggest impact I see this app having will be a chance to reach remote areas to gather information.”

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