Problem Based Learning for teaching rural health managers about health information systems by means of digital media

Keywords: Governance, University pedagogy

Aim

Research in health information systems during the last decade by the UDSM, the University of Oslo and other partners have provided results which will be useful for health managers in regions, districts and clinics. These results have not yet been disseminated to theapproximately 5000 middle managers in the health sector of Tanzania, becauseresidential staff training in rural areas is expensive and cumbersome.New technology like mobile phones, solar powered computers and open source software enableon-line supported training of health managers at a greatly reduced cost while a problem based learning approach has proven to be very effective in context sensitive continued professional development practice.

UDSM runs a NOMA funded master programme on health information systems and offers this to Dar es Salaam residents.

Through transforming master programme modules into a problem based learning pedagogy, delivered as on-line supported distance education via digital media, this project aims at enabling learning amongst the health managers of rural Tanzania. As a means, the project will enhance the UDSMcapacity to develop methods and materials supporting problem based, on-line supported, part-time learning in health management, delivered via Internet, mobile telephones, CDs and other ICTs.

The first activity is to make a detailed plan for the teaching, and start develping course material. The second is to plan the testing and evaluation in Phase2 and secure its funding through research applications to Pitro, EU, SIU and other possible sources. The Danish partner will ease the EU cooperation. The training programmes will be developed in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health, and funding for the training of health personnel will be sought with the Ministry of Health as the main partner. The main way of developing the course material will be through training of UDSM staff on PBL and on-line learning via PBL and on-line learning - in the learning process transforming the existing curriculum to PBL and on-line programme as part of the problem based project work.Third, the project will identify one more UDSM PhD student who will participate in the project. Fourth, the project will assess open source learning platforms.PhD students will be supervised by all faculty members, and Tanzanian master students by the UDSM staff and Igira.

Research outcomes::10 international publications

6 PhDs, 3 of whom are female. 2 submitted by project end, the remaining 4 within 2014.

Development outcomes:A publicdatabase of on-line education programmes

2000 Tanzanian health staff have been trained, a few in the whole master curriculum, but most on selected modules.

The remaining health workers will be trained after the project has terminated.

Resources

In Phase 1, the participants will meet thrice at UDSM, once for two weeks and twice for one week, and the faculty members will do the main part of their work during these workshops. In addition, there will be some on-line, distance cooperation. PhD students will spend more time analysing the data. The Norwegian part of this is budgeted for separately (attached), while local expenses including travel to test sites will be covered through other sources.

Kimaro, Kaasbøll, Braa and Igira have long experience in research on health information systems in developing countries and development of human resources in health administration and management in particular. Twaakyondo, Ulriksen, Bertelsen and Dahms have been working with ICT support for learning, while the competence on PBL comes from the Danish participants Bertelsen and Dahms. Since simple statistical calculations are part and parcel of health information analysis, Onstad contributes with competence inmathematics didactics. In addition to the UDSM participants, Igira, Ngoma, Shidende, Onstad and Bertelsen speak swahili.

History of cooperation

The Department of Informatics at UDSM and UiO have enjoyed long collaboration.

  • Two UDSM staff have received their PhDs from the University of Oslo in the area of health information systems. One Tanzanian citizen living in Dar es Salaam is a part time researcher employed at the UiO, and she also has her PhD form UiO.
  • An NFP course was carried out at UDSM 2005 and 2006.
  • A research and development project on health information systems in Zanzibar, 2005-2007.
  • The EU, Fp6, IST funded project Building Europe Africa collaborative Network for applying IST in Health care Sector, 2005-2008

Current joint projects:

  • The NOMA master Integrated Masters in health information systems – Tanzania and Ethiopia, 2007-2010, recently extended to 2011.
  • The NUFU project Improving access and quality in maternal health care in Sub Saharan Africa (Johanne Sundby, Section for International Health, coordinator)

Research projects under planning

  • Strengthen HMIS in Tanzania. Support from NORAD Tanzania og other donors in the country. 2009-2013.
  • EU-FP7, application submitted: Methods for Health Informatics in Africa (HELINA-Methods)