Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Feb 25, 2020
Date Accepted: May 13, 2020
Evaluating network readiness for mHealth interventions using the Beacon mobile phone application: Feasibility study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mobile health interventions have the potential to transform the global healthcare landscape. The processing power of mobile devices continues to increase, and the growth of mobile phones has been observed worldwide. Still, uncertainty remains among key stakeholders and decision makers that global health interventions could successfully tap into this trend. However, when correctly implemented, mHealth could reduce geographic, financial, and social barriers to quality healthcare.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to design and test Beacon, a mobile phone-based tool for evaluating mHealth readiness in global health. Here, we present the results of a pilot study designed to understand the mobile network landscape in and around Macha, Zambia in 2019.
Methods:
Beacon was developed to be an automated mobile phone application that continually collects spatiotemporal data and measures indicators of network performance. Beacon was used in and around Macha, Zambia in 2019. Results were collected, even in the absence of network connectivity, and asynchronously uploaded to a database for further analysis.
Results:
Beacon was used to evaluate three mobile phone networks around Macha. Carriers A and B completed 97.0% and 89.0% of downloads and 95.3% and 83.9% of uploads while Carrier C completed only 4.52% of file downloads and 0.00% of file uploads. File download durations occurred, in general, within 4 to 12 seconds, and their maximum speed occurred between 2 and 5 am. A decrease in network performance, demonstrated by an increase in upload and download durations, was observed beginning at 5 pm and continuing throughout the evening.
Conclusions:
Beacon results compare performance of different cellular networks, show times of day when cellular networks experience a heavy load and slow down, and find geographic “dead zones” with limited or no cellular service. Beacon is a ready-to-use tool that could be used by 1) organizations that are considering an mHealth intervention in a low- and middle-income country, but are questioning its feasibility – including infrastructure and cost, and 2) organizations that have an existing mHealth intervention and are looking to optimize its delivery with improved logistics management.
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