The appropriate use of technology to train health care workers

Prof Dave Woods

Perinatal Education Trust

AIM

To assess whether cell phone SMS text

messages are an acceptable means of

providing cheap, continuing education to

large numbers of midwives in the public

and private sector in South Africa

METHOD

• Standard SMS text messages

• 2 500 midwives

• Weekly for 6 months

• Limit to 160 spaces

• 26 most important lessons in maternal care

• Maternal Care book from PEP as source

• Added website for more information

TEXT EXAMPLE

Women with repeated or marked glycosuria

during pregnancy must always be

investigated for diabetes.

For more visit www.sisterlilian.co.za

ANALYSIS

• Randomly selected 50 participants

• 25 in state and 25 in private employment

• Independent researcher

• Simple questionnaire

• 5 questions with 3 options each

FINDINGS

• Did you learn?

– 86% yes; 14% sometimes; 0% no

• Did it improve practice?

– 72% yes; 24% perhaps; 4% no

• Did you share information?

– 68% most times; 18% sometimes; 14% no

• Would you like more?

– 100% yes

• Did you contact the website?

– 34% yes; 32% no; 34% no access

CONCLUSION

• Text messaging is an acceptable method of providing continuing education to midwives

• Large numbers of participants can be reached

• It is cheap and promotes group discussion

• It promises to improve learning and care

• It offers a way to address the huge challenge of providing affordable, continuing training to all professional health care workers in South Africa