mHero

Target SDGs

Target Users (Target Impact Group)

Household, Public Sector Agencies

Distributors / Implementing Organizations

Intrahealth International, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Jembi, Thoughtworks, International Medical Corps, PASA, John Snow International, mPowering Frontline Health Workers, Health Information Systems Program (HISP), Ministries of health in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Tanzania

Competitive Landscape

Direct competitors include Formhub, iFormBuilder, and SurveyCTO.

Manufacturing/Building Method

mHero works by the OpenHIE standards. The platform makes use of different open source technologies: - iHRIS: Open source software for managing health workforce information, developed by IntraHealth International - DHIS 2: Developed by the Health Information System Programme at the University of Oslo.This is a web-based health management information system with visualization features - RapidPro: An open source framework designed by UNICEF to send and receive data using basic mobile phones, manage complex workflows, automate analysis, and present data in real-time - OpenHIE's InterLinked Health Worker Registry: An application developed by OpenHIE that aggregates attributes for health workers from multiple human resource information systems and can share and validate health worker information using messaging standards

Intellectural Property Type

Open-source

User Provision Model

Instructions for installation and configuration of mHero are available online.

Distributions to Date Status

22 distinct use cases have reached over 5,000 health workers in Liberia as of May 2016. Experts note that the ability for mHero to be integrated with mobile network operators suits a larger deployment. This product has also been implemented in Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal and Tanzania as of May 2019.

Design Specifications

mHero can work with any health workforce information system or communication software that is compliant with the global OpenHIE principles for health information exchange. Health officials can use mHero to: - Communicate critical messages to health workers during a crisis or emergency response - Target messages to health workers based on cadre, location, or skill set - Collect critical information that powers resilient health systems, including stock levels, routine and one-time assessments, and validation of health worker and facility data - Provide care reminders and manage client referrals to strengthen clinical support Ministries of Health must have internet in order to use this system. MHero provides ministries with a cloud server for back-up.^{Interview with representative} RapidPro has the capability to use interactive voice response (IVR) although this feature is not being used for most mHero messages.^{Interview with representative}

Product Schematics

Technical Support

Tools and resources are available on the mHero website to assist implementers and donors with effectively using mHero. IntraHealth provides guidance to ministry staff while setting up mHero.

Replacement Components

N/A

Lifecycle

N/A

Manufacturer Specified Performance Parameters

Unknown

Vetted Performance Status

mHero was piloted in four counties in Liberia in December 2014. During the pilot, mHero sent an SMS message to 482 health workers. Of the 289 health workers reached, 57% (n=165) responded to the first mHero message and three-fourths (72% or n=119) of those who responded to the first message completed all 15 questions in the workflow. The pilot was also successfully tested in Sierra Leone. A validation message was sent to over 8,000 health workers and 2,181 individuals responded to the first message.

Safety

N/A

Complementary Technical Systems

Unknown

Academic Research and References

Compliance with regulations

mHero adheres to the Care Services Delivery standard. Other standards that will soon be supported by mHero are the Mobile Alert Communication Management and the Aggregate Data Exchange standards. The development and deployment of mHero has aligned with the 9 Principles for Digital Development. mHero has partnered with Dimagi to work towards integrating mHero with CommCare.^{Interview with representative}

Evaluation methods

Pilot studies were done in Liberia where 482 SMSs were sent to health workers to validate their phone numbers, location, job title, supervisor and facility. Only 289 of the health workers were reached due to ongoing negotiations of mobile network operator contracts. Of the 289 workers reached, there were 119 respondents.

Other Information

Recipient of USAID's Ebola Grand Challenge Award. Liberia’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has included mHero as an official strategy in its new Investment Plan for Building a Resilient Health System.