Department of TeleHealth, School of Nursing & Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa.
Health Information Systems Program South Africa, Pretoria 0181, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jul 21;20(14):6426. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20146426.
(1) Background: Decisions to use eHealth are complex and involve addressing a large opportunity cost. Sound choices are essential. Weighing up investment options is challenging in resource-constrained settings where there are frequently insufficient economics data and expertise to conduct adequate appraisals. To address this, a new eHealth Investment Appraisal Framework (eHIAF) for Africa has been designed and developed. The aim of this paper was to validate the new framework to consider whether it is fit for purpose and to refine it as needed. (2) Methods: An online survey of purposively selected eHealth experts was used to conduct a desktop validation of the proposed eHIAF for Africa. The survey covered the framework development process, structure, content, completeness, and utility. Expert opinions were charted, and a reflective and iterative process used to assess the tool and extract recommendations for refinement. (3) Results: Eleven eHealth experts who completed the survey had experience in African countries and elsewhere. The majority agreed with the eHIAF for Africa development approach and output. They provided valuable suggestions for minor refinements and felt that with these amendments, the eHIAF for Africa would be 'fit for purpose'. (4) Conclusions: The eHIAF for Africa is considered appropriate for use by policy- and decision-makers working in resource-constrained settings who face the task of selecting optimal eHealth investments. It has the potential for applicability beyond Africa and the framework should now be tested in African countries.
(1) 背景：使用电子健康的决策很复杂，涉及到大量的机会成本。做出明智的选择至关重要。在资源有限的环境中，评估投资选择极具挑战性，因为通常缺乏足够的经济学数据和专业知识来进行充分的评估。为了解决这个问题，我们设计并开发了一种新的非洲电子健康投资评估框架（eHIAF）。本文旨在验证新框架是否符合目的，并根据需要进行改进。
(2) 方法：我们采用在线问卷调查的方式，对精心挑选的电子健康专家进行了调查，以对拟议的非洲电子健康投资评估框架进行桌面验证。该调查涵盖了框架的开发过程、结构、内容、完整性和实用性。专家意见以图表形式呈现，并采用反思和迭代过程来评估工具并提取改进建议。
(3) 结果：完成调查的 11 名电子健康专家在非洲国家和其他地方有经验。他们大多数人同意非洲电子健康投资评估框架的开发方法和结果。他们提供了一些关于细微改进的宝贵建议，并认为通过这些修订，非洲电子健康投资评估框架将“符合目的”。
(4) 结论：该框架被认为适合资源有限环境中负责选择最佳电子健康投资的政策制定者和决策者使用。它有可能在非洲以外的地区适用，现在应在非洲国家进行测试。
