The INDEHELA network: An example of eHealth Research and Educational Capacity Development in Sub-Saharan Africa Lyn Hanmer South African Medical Research.

The INDEHELA network:

An example of eHealth Research and Educational Capacity Development in

Sub-Saharan Africa

Lyn Hanmer

South African Medical Research Council

Medinfo 2013eHealth Research and Educational Capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa

22 August 2013

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• INDEHELA description

• Two current INDEHELA projects

• One current INDEHELA partner

• INDEHELA as an example of effective collaboration in eHealth capacity development.

• Presentation on behalf of current active participants in INDEHELA

• Multiple authors as indicated in the slides.

22 August 2013Medinfo 2013 2

INDEHELA description

• Informatics Development for Health in Africa

• a long-term initiative (roots before 1990)

• aims to strengthen the capacity of the participating African higher education institutions • to contribute to the socio-economic and

human development in their countries, particularly in the scientific field of Health Informatics (HI) and the practice of e-health.

… by means of international collaboration.

4.5.2012 3Mikko Korpela

Current INDEHELA projects – 1 INDEHELA-ICI

INDEHELA-ICI: Institutional Collaboration Instrument for Informatics Development for Health in Africa

• Focuses on developing the capacities of three African HEIs in Health Informatics and e-health education in three areas:

1. Staff development2. Educational capacity development3. Administrative capacity development.

• Partners: Finland: UEF and Savonia; Africa: OAU, UEM, CPUT

• Expected timeframe: 3-5 years (two funding periods)

• First funding period: 18 months (till end of 2012)

Mikko Korpela 4

Partners

• 2 Continents

• 4 Countries – 6 Universities• Finland

• University of Eastern Finland• Savonia University of Applied Sciences

• South Africa• Cape Peninsula University of Technology (IT Department)• University of Western Cape (School of Nursing)

• Mozambique• Eduardo Mondlane University

• Nigeria• Obafemi Awolowo University

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Resource Persons (main)University of Eastern Finland

Prof Mikko KORPELA

Prof Kaija SARANTO (Health)

Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio

Dr Pirkko KOURI (Nursing)

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria \

Prof Hettie Abimbola SORIYAN (Information Systems)

Prof Omolola Oladunni IRINOYE (Nursing)

Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique

Prof Emilio MOSSE (Computer Sciences)

Prof Gertrudes MACUEVE (Computer Sciences)

Dr Humberto MUQUINGUE (Public Health)

Dr Joao Carlos MAVIMBE (Public Health)

Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa

Prof Retha de la HARPE (IT)

Prof Bennett ALEXANDER (IT)

University of Western Cape

Prof Yinka ADEJUMO (Nursing) 6

INDEHELA-ICI project, cont.

Expected results by end of 2012 (first funding phase):• Academic staff development:

• 6-10 junior and 3-5 senior academic staff have been identified• Each junior member with a feasible postgraduate degree plan / proposal• Supervisors appointed, African-Finnish co-supervision / mentoring groups

• Educational capacity development:• Each African partner HEI has the curriculum and a timed plan for

implementing its Masters and/or certificate programme• First modules have been designed, the teaching / learning methods set,

and at least one pilot module implemented in each African partner HEI

• Administrative capacity development:• Project Coordinator / Project Officer / Administrator with good organizing skills

has been identified and employed in each African partner HEI• Legal and financial project administration practices created within each HEI

and at the international level• Personal development plans approved for each project officer

Mikko Korpela 7

INDEHELA-ICI project, cont.

4.5.2012Mikko Korpela 8

Health Informatics Capacity Development through South-South, North-South and South-South, North-South and

South-North Collaboration:South-North Collaboration:Health Informatics Qualifications

Retha de la Harpe, Ass Prof, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa

Mikko Korpela, DTech, DocentResearch Director, UEF, School of Computing, HIS R&D, Kuopio, Finland

Adjunct Prof, CPUT, Dept of IT, Cape Town, South AfricaHonorary Prof, NMMU, School of IT, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

www.cput.ac.za www.uef.fi/[email protected] [email protected]

The Role of Higher Education in Capacity Building in Developing Countries

HISA Conference, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 3 July 2013

Rationale for Health Informatics Fundamentals

• Stand alone module to introduce Health Informatics

• It is aimed at persons who already have a basic qualification

• It does not assume any discipline specific prior knowledge

• It exposes the person to the main knowledge areas that represent health informatics

• It provides a basis for further specialisation in one or more knowledge areas

• It can be used for Continuous Professional Development

• It is possible to take specific topics and incorporate these into other modules

3 July 2013HISA 2013 10

Expected Learning OutcomesAt the end of this subject the student should have the basic knowledge and skills in ICT as it is needed and used in medicine and healthcare to be prepared for a career in Health Informatics in academic, healthcare, government or industrial settings.

The specific outcomes to achieve the above are:

•Identify and describe the elements of the Health Informatics Field

•Distinguish (comprehension – confirming use of knowledge ) between the different health informatics knowledge areas

•Explain the relevance of informatics in healthcare service provision in both global and local contexts

•Indicate how ICT could facilitate healthcare service provision

•Describe health informatics as a profession11

Health Informatics Fundamentals at CPUT

• Offered as a semester course in 2012

• Part of the BTech degree (NQF Level 7)

• Content created from materials developed at the HEI-ICI workshops by the senior resource persons

• Different lecturers taught the different topics

• 20 Full time and 8 Part time students registered for it during 2012

• This resulted in an increase in post graduate students doing health informatics related research

3 July 2013HISA 2013 12

Current INDEHELA projects – 2 ISD4D research project

A Holistic Information Systems Development Approach for Societal Development

• Funding from the Academy of Finland for 4 years from Sept 2011

• 2 workshops per year, ZA and MZ alternating

Mikko Korpela 13

Community,citizens

Services

Skilled workers, methods

Needs

Relevant socio-tech info systems?

Healthcare providers

Care

Mgment

Technology providers

Support

Design

Universities

EducationResearch

Socio-tech systems

International collaboration

Societal development?

African country

Relevant socio-tech methods?

The holistic ISD4D approach

Mikko Korpela 14

Contextmapping

Workflow analysis

Community needs

analysis

Architecture design

Interaction design

IS-supported services

Holistic ISD4D Approach

The possible role of Finnish HEIs in community development in the South

23.5.2012Mikko Korpela 15

Community,citizens

Services

Skilled workers, methods

Needs

Service providers

Care

Mgment

Technology providers

Support

Design

Universities

EducationResearch

Products and services

International collaborationAfrican country

Finland

Higher education institutions

Engagement

Direct impact

Government

Government

INDEHELA partner: CPUT

CPUT:•Isolated• Limited research • No supervisor• No funding

Cape Peninsula University of Technology- New merged institution- Vocational training

SA GovernmentInterventions

Changes to landscape:

Education Healthcare

INDEHELA network provides opportunities to interact & collaborate with others who share the same views and values to conduct research without being prescriptive to benefit someone.

4 Countries

4 Countries In SA: 4 Universities + MRC + Staff & students+ other faculties

Benefits: It provides• Context• Focus• Research framework• Research methods• Experiences• Knowledge base• Better funding opportunities

5 PhD’s5 MastersMany 4th yearsNRF fundingPapers

INDEHELA as an example of effective collaboration

• Health Informatics and eHealth research as the basis for collaboration:

• Well-established and developing theoretical framework based on action research

• Ongoing and developing contributions to Health Informatics research.

• Strong focus on national capacity development:• Students, teachers and supervisors, administrators.

• Strong focus on sustainability and mutual strengthening:

• Mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships• North-South• South-South• South-North.

• Funding from Finnish Academy - and the South. 22 August 2013Medinfo 2013 17