Adopting Digital Technology in Midwifery Practice – Experiences and Perspectives From Six Projects in Eight Countries (2014 – 2016)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.29086/JISfTeH.7.e2

DOI: https://doi.org/10.29086/JISfTeH.7.e2
Keywords: eHealth, Midwifery, Maternal Health, ICT Applications, Mobile Health

Abstract

This paper describes the cases of six midwifery projects of the Women Observatory for eHealth at the Millennia2025 Women and Innovation Foundation, to support the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in midwifery practice in eight countries from 2014 to 2016. The WeObservatory is a digital inclusion incubator aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in countries with limited resources by strengthening midwifery practice through the access to ICTs and eHealth applications. This paper describes how the collaboration with the WeObservatory supported these projects in the development and adoption of digital solutions for midwifery practice. It examines responses from the project leaders to an online survey conducted by the WeObservatory in January of 2018. Their responses provide insights on opportunities and challenges faced by these projects that can inform future midwifery eHealth projects. Building capacity among midwives for the adoption of digital competencies will help improve the quality of healthcare provided to mothers and their newborn babies in low-income countries.

Author Biographies

Lilia Judith Perez-Chavolla, Millennia2025 Foundation

Dr. Lilia Pérez Chavolla collaborates with the Millennia2025 Foundation’s "Women and eHealth" (Wehealth) International Working Group as Senior Advisor in ICT Applications promoting the empowerment of women through innovation in health services.

Dr. Perez Chavolla has fourteen years of experience in the area of communications, analysing policies, institutional reform, and the performance of the telecommunications sector. Her current work focuses on the application of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health, in particular on the role ICTs play in improving maternal and children’s health and in enabling sustainable development.

Véronique Inès Thouvenot, Foundation Millennia2025 Women and Innovation

Dr. Veronique Inès Thouvenot is a recognised senior expert in eHealth, Co-founder of the Millennia2025 Foundation “Women and Innovation” PuF, and Zero Mothers Die Initiative. She worked at WHO and ITU in Geneva, and before at the European Center of Humanitarian Health in Lyon.  She has conducted several evaluation missions in Africa and Latin Amarica. Born in Chile, trilingual, she holds a doctorate in Advanced Mathematics in Humanitarian Health, an MBA in Project Management, and post graduate diplomas in Medical Law and Health Economy from the University of Medicine in Lyon, France.

Amélie Moritz, Sanofi Espoir Foundation

Graduated from a Parisian business school, Amélie Moritz has joined Sanofi in 2005 to work at the Corporate Communication Department to coordinate the internal Communication Network worldwide. Two years later, she integrated the Humanitarian Partnership Department to develop solidarity programs in developing countries and highlight them by organizing several communication actions. With the creation of the Sanofi Espoir Foundation in October 2010, dedicated to reduce healthcare inequalities among the most needy. her activities have been strengthened. She is responsible of the Foundation’ communications and still carying out major humanitarian programs, such as Access to healthcare projects in France and humanitarian emergencies actions

References

The Foundation Millennia2025 Women and Innovation. An Action Plan for Women's Empowerment and gender equality. Available at: http://www.millennia2025-foundation.org/index_en.html accessed 30 September 2018.

Connecting Midwives. Midwives for Life Awards. 2013. Available at: http://connectingmidwives.com/web/projects_awards accessed 30 September 2018.

Bagayokoa CO, Anneb A, Fieschi M, Geissbuhler A. Can ICTs Contribute to the Efficiency and Provide Equitable Access to the Health Care System in Sub-Saharan Africa? The Mali Experience. Yearb Med Inform 2011:20(1):33-38. DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1638734

Mars M. Building the capacity to build capacity in e-health in sub-Saharan Africa: the KwaZulu-Natal experience. Telemed J E Health 2012;18(1):32–37. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2011.0146

Curran VR, Fleet L, Kirby F. Factors influencing rural health care professionals’ access to continuing professional education. Aust J Rural Health 2006:14(2):51–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1584.2006.00763.x

Bagayoko CO, Perrin C, Gagnon MP, et al. Continuing distance education: a capacity-building tool for the de-isolation of care professionals and researchers. J Gen Intern Med 2013;28(Suppl 3):666-670. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2522-1

The Women Observatory for eHealth, WeObservatory. 2015. An online course on ICTs for Midwifery. Available at: http://www.m2025-weobservatory.org/icts-for-midwives.html accessed 30 September 2018.

CASA. Parteras del Siglo XXI. 2018. Como Usar las TIC. Campus Virtual. Available at: http://casa.org.mx/lms/index.php accessed 4 November 2018.

International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Twinning Programmes. Available at: http://internationalmidwives.org/projects-programmes/former-projects/icm-interventions/more-twinning-programmes.html accessed on May 5, 2018.

Cadée F, Nieuwenhuijze MJ, Lagro-Janssen AL, De Vries R. The state of the art of twinning, a concept analysis of twinning in healthcare. Global Health 2016;12(1):66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-016-0205-5

PanMilar. 2015. Des cours de preparation a la naissance pour femmes migrantes, avec interprétariat communautaire. Available at: http://www.m2025-weobservatory.org/sage-femmes-et-femmes-migrantes.html accessed 30 September 2018.

Portrait of a midwife. Portraits of midwives in Bangladesh. 2016. Available at http://www.m2025-weobservatory.org/portrait-of-a-midwife.html accessed 30 September 2018.

International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Toronto 2017: 31st ICM Triennial Congress. Available at: https://internationalmidwives.org/events/triennial-congress/toronto-2017 accessed 30 September 2018.

The Blog of the Women Observatory for eHealth. Available at: http://weobservatory.com/ accessed 30 September 2018.

Thouvenot, V, Perez-Chavolla, L. 2015. Report of the Special Session on Women 2015: Empowering Women in eHealth and Telemedicine through Education. Luxemburg, Medetel Conference, April 22-24, 2015. Available at: http://www.millennia2015.org/files/files/M25_WeObs_Projets/Events/Report_of_the_Women_session_medetel_2015.pdf accessed on May 5, 2018.

The Women Observatory for eHealth. 2016 Events. 2016. Available at: http://www.m2025-weobservatory.org/2016.html accessed 30 September 2018.

The Women Observatory for eHealth. 2017 Events. 2017. Available at: http://www.m2025-weobservatory.org/2017.html accessed 30 September 2018.

Published
2019-01-05
How to Cite
Perez-Chavolla, L., Thouvenot, V., Schimpf, D., & Moritz, A. (2019). Adopting Digital Technology in Midwifery Practice – Experiences and Perspectives From Six Projects in Eight Countries (2014 – 2016). Journal of the International Society for Telemedicine and EHealth, 7, e2 (1-8). https://doi.org/10.29086/JISfTeH.7.e2
Issue
Vol 7 (2019)
Section
Special Theme: Women in eHealth

Copyright (c) 2018 Lilia Judith Perez-Chavolla, Véronique Inès Thouvenot, Doina Schimpf, Amélie Moritz

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:


Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.