Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, 764 Vo Van Kiet Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, 72708, Viet Nam.
Centre for Antimicrobial Optimisation, Imperial College London, England.
Bull World Health Organ. 2023 Jul 1;101(7):487-492. doi: 10.2471/BLT.22.289423. Epub 2023 May 26.
Direct application of digital health technologies from high-income settings to low- and middle-income countries may be inappropriate due to challenges around data availability, implementation and regulation. Hence different approaches are needed.
Within the Viet Nam ICU Translational Applications Laboratory project, since 2018 we have been developing a wearable device for individual patient monitoring and a clinical assessment tool to improve dengue disease management. Working closely with local staff at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, we developed and tested a prototype of the wearable device. We obtained perspectives on design and use of the sensor from patients. To develop the assessment tool, we used existing research data sets, mapped workflows and clinical priorities, interviewed stakeholders and held workshops with hospital staff.
In Viet Nam, a lower middle-income country, the health-care system is in the nascent stage of implementing digital health technologies.
Based on patient feedback, we are altering the design of the wearable sensor to increase comfort. We built the user interface of the assessment tool based on the core functionalities selected by workshop attendees. The interface was subsequently tested for usability in an iterative manner by the clinical staff members.
The development and implementation of digital health technologies need an interoperable and appropriate plan for data management including collection, sharing and integration. Engagements and implementation studies should be conceptualized and conducted alongside the digital health technology development. The priorities of end-users, and understanding context and regulatory landscape are crucial for success.
由于数据可用性、实施和监管方面的挑战，直接将数字健康技术从高收入国家应用于中低收入国家可能并不合适。因此，需要采取不同的方法。
自 2018 年以来，我们一直在越南 ICU 转化应用实验室项目中开发一种用于个体患者监测的可穿戴设备和一种临床评估工具，以改善登革热疾病管理。我们与胡志明市热带病医院的当地工作人员密切合作，开发并测试了可穿戴设备的原型。我们从患者那里获得了有关传感器设计和使用的观点。为了开发评估工具，我们使用了现有的研究数据集，映射了工作流程和临床重点，采访了利益相关者，并与医院工作人员举行了研讨会。
在越南，一个中低收入国家，医疗保健系统正处于数字健康技术实施的初期阶段。
根据患者的反馈，我们正在改变可穿戴传感器的设计，以提高舒适度。我们根据研讨会参与者选择的核心功能构建了评估工具的用户界面。随后，临床工作人员以迭代的方式对界面的可用性进行了测试。
数字健康技术的开发和实施需要一个具有互操作性和适当的数据管理计划，包括数据的收集、共享和集成。参与和实施研究应该与数字健康技术的开发同时进行。最终用户的优先级以及对背景和监管环境的理解对于成功至关重要。
