Text messages as a learning tool for midwives
Open accessAbstract
The use of cell phone text messaging to improve access to continuing healthcare education in under-resourced settings is not well documented. We aimed to assess whether this method of education is acceptable to South African midwives in both the public and private sectors. Essential healthcare lessons from the Maternal Care book of the Perinatal Education Programme (PEP) were delivered via text message to more than 2 500 midwives each week for a period of 6 months. Each message concluded with a link to a website, where additional information about each lesson could be accessed. Results of a survey, conducted with 50 of the message recipients, demonstrated that the text messages were well received by the midwives; the information was widely shared with colleagues and was believed to improve learning and patient care. Lack of access to the internet, or failure to utilise this facility to obtain additional information, indicated that limitations still exist in internet-based distance education, especially in the public sector. The use of text messaging promises to provide cost-effective learning opportunities, and improve a wide range of clinical services, such as the management of HIV-infected children and adults.
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Research on digital tools for community health workers has largely addressed continuing education, data collection, decision support, emergency referrals, and work planning, not clinical skill development.
“Much of the literature on digital technology, including mobile interventions and text messaging, has primarily been in the context of providing continuing educational support and training to community health workers on data collection and reporting, decision support, emergency referrals and work planning through alerts and reminders, as opposed to developing clinical skills (Winters et al., 2018;”
From Acceptability and feasibility of digital technology for training community health workers to deliver brief psychological treatment for depression in rural India (2019) · cites this paper as Woods et al., 2012
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Lester, R. T., Ritvo, P., Mills, E. J., Kariri, A., Karanja, S., Chung, M. H., Jack, W., Habyarimana, J., Sadatsafavi, M., Najafzadeh, M., et al. (2010) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(10)61997-6 · Cited by 1,278 · see citing works
Pop-Eleches, C., Thirumurthy, H., Habyarimana, J. P., Zivin, J. G., Goldstein, M. P., de Walque, D., MacKeen, L., Haberer, J., Kimaiyo, S., Sidle, J., et al. (2011) · AIDS · doi:10.1097/qad.0b013e32834380c1 · Cited by 982 · see citing works
Zurovac, D., Sudoi, R. K., Akhwale, W. S., Ndiritu, M., Hamer, D. H., Rowe, A. K., & Snow, R. W. (2011) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(11)60783-6 · Cited by 403 · see citing works
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Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Terry M. Text messaging in healthcare: the elephant knocking at the door. Telemed J E Health 2008;14(6):520-524.
- Woods DL, Greenfield DH. Teaching in under-resourced hospitals: experience in South Africa. NeoReviews 2010;11:5-11.
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Agarwal, S., Perry, H. B., Long, L., & Labrique, A. B. (2015) · Tropical Medicine & International Health · doi:10.1111/tmi.12525 · Cited by 498 · see citing works
Muke, S. S., Shrivastava, R. D., Mitchell, L., Khan, A., Murhar, V., Tugnawat, D., Shidhaye, R., Patel, V., & Naslund, J. A. (2019) · Asian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2019.09.006 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Tele-education in South Africa
Mars, M. (2014) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00173 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
- Authors
- Woods, D., Attwell, A., Ross, K., & Theron, G.
- Venue
- South African Medical Journal
- Published
- 2012-01-27
- Volume
- 102
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 100
- ISSN
- 0256-9574 (ISSN-L)
- 2078-5135
- OpenAlex
- W2155126299
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 7.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- South African Medical Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- SUNScholar (Stellenbosch University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Mobile Learning in Education
- Social Sciences › Health › Social Media in Health Education
- Keywords
- text messaging, midwives, continuing education, distance education, mobile health, maternal care, internet access, South Africa, HIV management
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attitude to Computers, Clinical Competence, Competency-Based Education, Educational Measurement, Humans, Midwifery, Surveys and Questionnaires, South Africa, Students, Nursing, Program Evaluation, Education, Distance, Internet, Text Messaging
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