Feasibility and acceptability of mobile phone data collection for longitudinal follow-up among patients treated for obstetric fistula in Uganda

Abstract

Rapid dissemination of mobile technology provides substantial opportunity for overcoming challenges reaching rural and marginalized populations. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of longitudinal mobile data capture among women undergoing fistula surgery in Uganda (n = 60) in 2014–2015. Participants were followed for 12 months following surgery, with data captured quarterly, followed by interviews at 12 months. Participant retention was high (97%). Most respondents reported no difficulty with mobile data capture (range 93%–100%), and preferred mobile interview (88%–100%). Mobile data capture saved 1000 person-hours of transit and organizational time. Phone-based mobile data collection provided social support. Our results support this method for longitudinal studies among geographically and socially marginalized populations.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to recognize the study participants for their commitment to this study and Amy J. Markowitz, JD, for her editorial support. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the United States National Institutes of Health (NICHD; Project number R21HD075008), the Fistula Foundation, and from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) via the Fistula Care Plus Project, administered by EngenderHealth (cooperative agreement AID-OAA-A14-00013). Continuing analytical work was funded by NICHD (Project number K99HD086232).