Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
tives from the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Lanka Software Foundation,
and Rural Technology and Business Incubator, and LIRNE
asia
.
The objective of the meeting was to bring together the Medical Officer of
Health, Community Healthcare Workers, and other experts to discuss the
RTBP research objectives; demonstrate the concept of using ICT for disease
surveillance and notification through a community-based approach; provide
an opportunity for participants to give feedback on the research design, spe-
cific objectives, and hypothesis; agree on the tasks, deliverables, and timeline;
and conduct a survey through a questionnaire to understand the disease
surveillance, notification-competency levels, and technology readiness of
the Community Healthcare Workers.
13.4.3.2 Tami Nadu Health Worker Meeting
Indian Institute of Technology-Madras's Rural Technology and Business
Incubator organized a workshop with the Village Health Nurses and Sector
Health Nurses in Thirukoshtiyur Primary Health Centre in the Block of
Thirupathur in Sivaganga district to get feedback on the first template of
the mobile application developed for collecting patient case information.
Thirupathur block has 24 Village Health Nurses, 23 of them participating in the
workshop and giving active feedback on the mobile applications. The objec-
tives of the workshop were to orient the Village Health Nurses on the RTBP
project, to demonstrate the mobile application to the Village Health Nurses, to
administer technology readiness and sample space assessment questionnaire,
and to get their feedback and comments. The research assistants visited rural
facilities to observe their daily activities, as well as consult with other health
workers.
13.5 Deduced Set of User Requirements
User requirements derived in this section follow from the close analysis of
the current disease surveillance and notification systems in both Sri Lanka
and Tamil Nadu, discussed in the previous sections, as well as the consul-
tations with the health workers and health officials in both countries. The
main weaknesses deduced from the business analysis were:
1. The existing system thrives on a set of known diseases, labeled as
“communicable” and/or “notifiable” diseases and not on detecting
emerging diseases or other adverse health events.
2. The time taken in delivering the vital health information both
upstream and downstream through paper, phone, and fax-based
