Areas with limited connectivity and infrastructure always pose major challenges in collecting and storing health data from the field.
I would like to share a mini-case study inspired by the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which uses the ODK mobile data collection tool for health surveillance in remote and underserved regions.
In South Sudan, MSF encountered several challenges while supporting disease surveillance efforts, including the following:
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Health data collection was done manually on paper forms, making it slow, prone to errors, and cumbersome to analyze.
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Communication infrastructure was poor, making it extremely difficult to transmit data from remote clinics to central offices in real-time.
MSF implemented ODK to equip frontline staff and volunteers with mobile devices preloaded with forms tailored to each health program. These forms enabled:
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Real-time data collection in remote settings with no internet access.
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Standardized reporting on symptoms, diagnoses, and referrals.
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Offline-first workflows to ensure no data loss during missions.
Collected data was synced when possible and aggregated for rapid response and planning at regional coordination centers.
This intervention allowed faster outbreak detection in hard-to-reach areas and improved health service monitoring with consistent and timely data.
I am considering a similar model in my work and would love to hear from you guys.
What tips do you have for building intuitive ODK forms for people with limited tech skills?