Skip to main content

Table 5 Characteristics of the reviews included for Information System

From: Evidence from district level inputs to improve quality of care for maternal and newborn health: interventions and findings

Reviews (n=15)

Description of included interventions

Type of Studies included (no)

Targeted Health care Providers

Outcome reported

Pooled Data (Y/N)

Results

    

Other outcomes

MNH specific outcomes

  

Black 2011[52]

The researchers divided e-Health technologies into three main categories: (1) storing, managing, and transmission of data; (2) clinical decision support; and (3) facilitating care from a distance.

53 systematic reviews

Various health care professionals

Patient outcomes

Electronic prescribing

No

Weak to moderate effect (10 out of a total of 26 studies)

     

Aassociated computerised provider (or physician) order entry systems

 

6 out of a total of 6 studies showed no benefit

Gagnon 09[65]

Any type of intervention to promote the adoption and use of any type of Information Communication Technology (ICT) (electronic medical record, telemedicine/ tele-health, health information networks, decision support tools, Internet-based technologies and services).

RCT: 09

ITS: 01

healthcare professionals, residents, fellows, and other registered healthcare professionals in HIC

Information and communication technology adoption

 

No

Small to moderate positive effect on adoption (4/10)

       

No significant positive effect (4/10)

       

Mixed effect (2/10)

Hayrinen 08[58]

Electronic health records: definitions, structure, context, access, purpose and methods

89 papers

Health care professionals in HIC

Electronic health records: definitions, structure, context, access, purpose and methods

 

No

Narrative

Irani 09[60]

Use of Electronic health record system in outpatient and office setting

Cross-sectional: 03

Pre-post: 04

(meta-analyzed: 03)

Physicians in HIC

Patient satisfaction

 

Yes

3.7% (2.9-5.2%)

McGowan 09[61]

Provision and access to electronically retrievable health records at point of healthcare delivery and training component

cRCT’s: 02

Physicians, nurses and midwives in HIC

Professional behavior

 

No

No significant change (2/2)

    

Improvement in knowledge

  

Improved knowledge (1/2)

Ballas 1997 (electronic communication)[51]

Distance technology applications were described in 6 categories: computerized communication, telephone follow-up and counseling, telephone reminders, interactive telephone systems, after-hours telephone access, and telephone screening.

80 clinical trials

General healthcare providers

Computerized communication: Clinical outcomes for diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cardiac diseases

 

No

HbA 1c decreased (4/4)

Insignificant changes in other outcomes

    

Telephonic follow-up: ED visits

  

Significant improvements in keeping appointment, compliance, follow-up care, satisfaction

    

Cardiac care

  

Significant improvement in smoking cessation, exercise, general activity, knowledge

     

Mammography use

 

Significant increase in no of mammograms (Range: 14%-25%)

    

Osteoarthritis

  

Significant improvement in AIMS score

    

Tobacco use prevention

  

Significant decrease of 8.3%

    

Appointment keeping rates

  

Appointment kept or responsibly cancelled (5/6)

     

Immunization rates

 

Significant increase (Range: 6.4%-27.2%)

    

Medication compliance

  

Significant improvement in compliance events and pharmacy score

    

Diabetic foot care

  

Significant improvement in Serious foot lesions, dry or cracked skin, ingrown toenails and fungal nail infections

    

Osteoarthritis

  

Significant improvement in physical disability and pain

Bunn 04/ Bunn 05 (tele consultation)[53, 54]

All designated telephone consultation systems where patients calls are received, assessed and managed by giving advice or by referral to a more appropriate service. This included those with and without computer based clinical decision support systems

RCT: 05

CCT:01

ITS: 03

healthcare providers in HIC

Visit to GP’s

 

No

Significant reduction (3/5)

    

Visits to A&E department

  

No difference (6/7), significant increase (1/7)

    

Hospital admissions

  

Reduction in hospital admissions (2/2)

    

Home visit

  

No significant reduction (1/1)

    

Out of hours contact

  

Small significant increase (1/2)

    

Patient satisfaction

   
    

Cost

   

Car 11[55]

Online health literacy

RCT: 01

CBA: 01

All patients/ consumers

Self-efficacy for health information seeking

 

No

1.10 points higher in intervention group

    

Health information evaluation skills

  

0.60 points higher in intervention group

    

# of times pt. discussed online

  

0.7 times higher in intervention group

Currell 00 (telemedicine)[56]

Studies which compare the provision of patient care face to face with care given using telecommunications technologies, in which at least two communication media are used interactively (e.g. video consultation between hospital consultant and general practitioner).

Trials: 07

Qualified healthcare practitioners from any discipline in HIC

Measurable difference in outcome of care

 

No

No unequivocal benefit (7/7)

    

Economic consequence

   
    

Acceptability of care

   
    

Difference in professional practice

   
    

Difference in transfer of care

   

Grilli 02

Mass media

ITS: 20

Healthcare providers patients and general public

Effectiveness

 

No

Effective in improving healthcare utilization (7/7 studies)

Heselmans 09[59]

An electronic guideline implementation method was defined as an electronic system directly supporting evidence-based clinical decision making in which point-of care advice is provided based on one or more CPGs

20 cRCT, 1 CCT, 2 CBA

physicians

Patient outcomes

 

No

7/23 studies had >50% of the process outcomes significantly improved

    

Process outcomes

   

Mistiaen 06 (telephone follow-ups)[62]

Telephone follow-up (TFU) initiated by a hospital-based health professional (medical, nursing, social work, pharmaceutical) to a patient who is discharged to his/her own home setting (including a relative’s home).

33 RCT’s and controlled trials

hospital based healthcare professional in HIC

Compliance in cardiac surgery patients

  

1.68 [0.59, 4.78]

    

Compliance in ED patients (making an appointment)

  

1.68 [0.59, 4.78]

    

Compliance in ED patients (keeping an appointment)

  

1.58 [1.01, 2.48]

    

Effect on knowledge in cardiac patients

  

1.44 [-0.25, 3.13]

    

Effect on readmission(cardiac patients)

  

0.75 [0.41, 1.36]

    

Effect on readmission in surgery patients

  

0.65 [0.28, 1.55]

    

ED visits in surgery patients

  

1.47 [0.85, 2.53]

Noordam 11[19]

The potential of mobile phones to improve maternal health services in Low and Middle Income Countries

Projects

LMIC

Accessing emergency obstetric care, improving the capacity of lesser trained health workers, empowering women

 

No

Narrative

Shiffman 99[63]

Computer based guideline implementation

RCT: 9,

NRCT: 01

time series: 10,

clinicians and other information providers in HIC

Guideline adherence

 

No

Improved in 14 of 18 studies

    

Documentation

  

Improved in 4 of 4 studies.

Tan 12 (telemedicine)[64]

Telemedicine technology focused on education and support to the parents or caretakers of newborn infants receiving intensive care.

1 RCT

NICU staff in Indonesia

 

Length of hospital stay

Yes

-2.10 (-18.85-14.65)