Mapping national IT infrastructure

This project was based at the University of Edinburgh, working with researchers from various countries.

Overview

  • Project title: Mapping national IT infrastructure to the requirements of potential RESPIRE, PuRe and INSPIRE projects
  • Acute or chronic:  Chronic
  • Based at: University of Edinburgh
  • Start date: April 2021
  • End date: August 2021
  • Principal investigator: Professor Hilary Pinnock
  • Project team:  Io Hui, Balharry Dominique, Monsur Habib, Zabir Tanim, Parisa Khandakr, Rutuja Patil, Ashish Satav, Bharat Shah, Jitendra Shah, Niteen Wairagkar, Mulya Nurmansyah, Fedri Rinawan, Teck-Hock Toh, Adina Abdullah, Hani Syahida Binti Salim, Aimal Rextin, Hana Mahmood, Zakiuddin Ahmed

Background

Our LMIC colleagues from the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Respiratory Health (RESPIRE) have repeatedly suggested that there is much to be gained from investigating telehealth solutions to overcome problems of distance, poor infrastructure, limited medical provision in rural areas and the need to provide rural practitioners with specialist support. One specific example is the delivery of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) both to overcome geographical and time barriers to attending centre-based PR, and more recently to enable PR services to continue in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In planning discussions for the RESPIRE PR trial (PuRe) grant application a key question for which we only have anecdotal answers was related to local IT capabilities in partner countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Pakistan). Similar questions are arising in projects for RESPIRE-2 and a NIHR Global Health Research Centre (INSPIRE).

Aim and impact

We aim to undertake a scoping review to:

A. Identify what our partners would like to achieve with technology – the ‘wish-list’;

B. Describe the IT infrastructure available in different countries/regions and explore socio-cultural influences (availability of technology; gender inequalities etc) that determine what is available - the ‘reality’;

C. Map the ‘wish-list’ to the ‘reality

The outputs will not only be an understanding of the potential for digital interventions for our LMIC partners, but also provide practical recommendations about how to implement digital health interventions in low-resource settings by optimising existing infrastructure limitations. Specifically, an understanding of the technology infrastructure and optimal access to digital solutions will enable innovative projects to be implemented in future studies (RESPIRE-2, PuRe, INSPIRE).

Graphic covering aims and impacts
Aims and Impacts

Key developments

  • A peer-reviewed publication of interest to LMIC healthcare systems and global health researchers.  All co-investigators and collaborators who contribute to the paper will be authors.
  • Presentations at national and global conferences (International Primary Care Respiratory group is a RESPIRE/INSPIRE partner.  Digital health is a priority for the European Respiratory Society).

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