Experiences in running a complex electronic data capture system using mobile phones in a large-scale population trial in southern Nepal

Bibliographic Data

ID19530600
AuthorsSarah Style (0000-0003-2631-9565, University College London), B James Beard (0000-0001-6152-9723, University College London), Helen Harris–Fry (0000-0003-2367-908X, University College London), Aman Sengupta (Mother and Infant Research Activities), Sonali Jha (Mother and Infant Research Activities), Bhim P Shrestha (Mother and Infant Research Activities), Anjana Rai (0000-0001-7430-3424, Mother and Infant Research Activities), Vikas Paudel (Mother and Infant Research Activities), Meelan Thondoo (0000-0001-9053-3123, University College London), Anni-Maria Pulkki-Brännström (0000-0001-8723-8131, University College London), Jolene Skordis-Worrall (0000-0002-8633-0208, University College London), D S Manandhar (0000-0001-8699-6774, Mother and Infant Research Activities), Anthony Costello (0000-0002-0460-4245, University College London), N Saville (0000-0002-1735-3684, University College London, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume10
Issue1
Pages1330858-1330858
Publication date2017-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Health Action (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1654-9716 • E-ISSN: 1654-9880
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/16549716.2017.1330858
PMID28613121
OpenAlexW2624948814
LanguageEN
Citations received14
References cited36

The increasing availability and capabilities of mobile phones make them a feasible means of data collection. Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems have been used widely for public health monitoring and surveillance activities, but documentation of their use in complicated research studies requiring multiple systems is limited. This paper shares our experiences of designing and implementing a complex multi-component EDC system for a community-based four-armed cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial in the rural plains of Nepal, to help other researchers planning to use EDC for complex studies in low-income settings. We designed and implemented three interrelated mobile phone data collection systems to enrol and follow-up pregnant women (trial participants), and to support the implementation of trial interventions (women's groups, food and cash transfers). 720 field staff used basic phones to send simple coded text messages, 539 women's group facilitators used Android smartphones with Open Data Kit Collect, and 112 Interviewers, Coordinators and Supervisors used smartphones with CommCare. Barcoded photo ID cards encoded with participant information were generated for each enrolled woman. Automated systems were developed to download, recode and merge data for nearly real-time access by researchers. The systems were successfully rolled out and used by 1371 staff. A total of 25,089 pregnant women were enrolled, and 17,839 follow-up forms completed. Women's group facilitators recorded 5717 women's groups and the distribution of 14,647 food and 13,482 cash transfers. Using EDC sped up data collection and processing, although time needed for programming and set-up delayed the study inception. EDC using three interlinked mobile data management systems (FrontlineSMS, ODK and CommCare) was a feasible and effective method of data capture in a complex large-scale trial in the plains of Nepal. Despite challenges including prolonged set-up times, the systems met multiple data collection needs for users with varying levels of literacy and experience

Automatic identification and data capture · Data collection · Documentation · Download · Environmental health · Internet privacy · mHealth · Mobile phone · Population · Psychological intervention · Telecommunications · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Ethics in Clinical Research · ICT in Developing Communities · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Nursing