Assessing factors of low use of rapid SMS in Nyarugenge District

Abstract

Background: Today, the interest in using mobile phones for health care provision is increasing. Mobile and wireless devices support medical and public health practice as in Rwanda, where Rapid SMS system helps in tracking pregnant women and children less than two years of age. It is used by Ministry of Health (MoH) to collect data from the level of the community through the use of Animatrices de Sante Maternelle (ASMs), who are in charge of maternal health and are provided cell phones so as to be able to provide better information on risks and to avoid delays that caused maternal death. However, reporting trends are still low in many districts of the country, whereby it does not go beyond 43% during the period of 2013-2015 in Nyarugenge District. The study assessed factors of low maternal health reporting in Nyarugenge District after analyzing reporting statistical and survey data. Methods: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study in which statistical and survey parts were used. Statistical data about antenatal care, registered pregnancies, high risk pregnancies, expected and high risk expected deliveries were collected from HMIS in RBC, during the period of 2013-2015. Survey data were collected using the questionnaires answered by 247 ASMs and 10 in-charge of community health in Health centers. Survey data entry was made using Epi-data and analysis was conducted using STATA and Excel. Results: Reporting trends showed at their low, and different factors were associated between them to prove how they cause the low reporting about maternal health reporting including lack of trainings (n=199, 81%), lack of phones (n=189, 76.5%), lack of financial incentives (n=73, 30%), remoteness ( n=55, 22%) and long distances to cover (n=167, 68%) Conclusion: The analysis revealed potential factors to the low Rapid SMS reporting on maternal health. Lack of trainings, lack of phones, lack of motivation fee, remoteness and long distances to be covered by the ASMs visiting pregnant women were assessed to be the major factors. Interventions such as regular trainings, provision of phones to the ASMs and replacement of the old ones, provision of motivation fee and the search for how pregnant women may be involved in reporting could be part of the effective strategies to address the low Rapid SMS reporting trends about maternal health.