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Addendum
Use of Information and Communication Technology in Providing Integrated Services to Young People
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) offers potential to more effectively manage and support programs for providing integrated HIV/AIDS and family planning services to young people. With increased access to technology such as computers with CD-ROM drives, open source software1, Internet, e-mail, and cellular phones with text messaging capability by communities, facilities, and individuals, programs can use these technologies to address challenges in introducing integrated services. Integration challenges include minimizing the burden on health care providers by additional counseling duties or training; tracking patients efficiently, especially with referrals for specialized services; and, providing young people with avenues for getting answers to sexual and reproductive health questions outside of a clinical setting. Program applications of ICT include:
Provide self-paced, computer-based training for providers and peer educators: Offering health care providers self-paced computer-based training to update their skills for providing services to young people allows them to fit training into their work schedules. Organizations such as Family Health International have developed self-study modules that can be used on the Web or on CD-ROM2. Computer-based training also provides an engaging way to train peer educators, who as young people may have an interest in use of technology for learning.
Support counseling services through job aids. Service providers with additional counseling duties because of integration can benefit from availability of job aids, which can be made available on the Web for downloading and use in service delivery settings.
Manage patient records and treatment: Clinical information systems can help in managing patient records and scheduling patients for follow-up care. Use of these systems and e-mail can help with referrals outside the facility for specialized services. Text messaging via cell phones provides a way to contact patients for reminders of treatment schedules.
Offer hotlines and radio call-in programs to encourage interaction with young people. Programs incorporating telephone hotlines and radio call-in programs provide an anonymous way for young people to get answers to their sexual and reproductive health questions.
The references below include examples of ICT use in health programs in low-resource settings.
References:
BLOOME, A., ZWICKER, C. and FINGER, W. Information and communications technology. Web sites, CD-ROMS, and on-line educational projects hold promise for youth. Arlington, Virginia, Family Health International, YouthNet, 2003 Sep. 4 p. (Available: http://tinyurl.com/22nwzf)
MOCH, L. and STEVENS, C. Reaching adolescents through hotlines and radio call-in programs. In FOCUS. Pathfinder International, Dec. 1999. (Available:http://pf.convio.com/pf/pubs/focus/IN%20FOCUS/PDF/dec99.pdf)
RHO ARCHIVES. Information and Communication Technology Key Issues. Reproductive Health Outlook. (Available: http://www.rho.org/html/ict_keyissues.htm)
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA. The African Development Forum ’99: Post ADF Summit: Information and Communication Technology for Health Sector. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sep. 2001. 30 p. (Available: http://www.uneca.org/aisi/docs/pfshealth.pdf)
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