EpiSurveyor: Collecting Vital Health Data Using Free Software Tools
From Shareideas
With the help of EpiSurveyor, a collection of free, open-source software tools, health care workers in several African nations are collecting vital health information, particularly from those living in hard-to-reach rural areas, via mobile communications.
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In many developing countries, public health data is collected by hand on paper, resulting in what can be significant delays in relaying vital information to health care practitioners and government authorities, who rely on such data to plan programs and respond effectively to health care needs.
Developed by DataDyne, a not-for-profit consulting group serving the data needs of governments, UN organizations, and NGOs, EpiSurveyor offers a collection of free, open-source software tools that enable health information to be collected on PDAs (personal digital assistants) or smartphones. EpiSurveyor was designed for epidemiological use and for planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating health projects and programs, but can be used for non-health applications as well.
With EpiSurveyer, a windows-based program, health care workers enter survey questions on a desktop or laptop. The resulting form is then published to any number of mobile devices, such as a PDA or smartphone. The mobile devices can then be taken into the field and used to record information. Afterward, the devices are synchronized with a desktop or laptop, with the ability to combine all of the data collected into a single table.
In June 2006 a partnership between DataDyne, the UN Foundation, the Vodafone Group Foundation, and World Health Organization was launched to support the fight against measles in Burkino Faso, Kenya, and Zambia. Through the program, health data officers in each country received training in how to use the EpiSurveyor tool via a Palm handheld computer to collect information from clinics, and then aggregate and analyze it nationally. By replacing paper-based processes, the countries’ ministries of health have dramatically speeded up the rate at which vital information could be collected and the impact of current treatments assessed.
Based on the success of this three-country pilot, plans are underway to create new digital health systems for use in over 20 measles-affected countries in Africa, as well as to enable health care workers to use the technology to fight other diseases such as malaria.
Funding for the development of EpiSurveyor was provided by the World Bank’s infoDev program, the United Nations Foundation, the Vodafone Group Foundation, and by Dr. Joel Selanikio, co-founder of DataDyne.
How they did it
EpiSurveyor incorporates a Windows-based "Designer" program for creation of surveys and a Java-based "Engine" that lets surveys created in Designer be used to collect data in the field on a variety of mobile devices. Both programs require no technical background and are made to be as easy to use as a word-processor. EpiSurveyor was specifically designed for application in developing nations. The website, which allows free download of the software and associated manual, also provides information for those making hardware choices.
Technology used
Java-enabled mobile devices (e.g., Palm OS handheld computer)
EpiSurveyor open-source software
