JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Contact tracing is a widely recommended strategy for finding missing infectious diseases. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies support these efforts, but their efficacy and implementation success remain uncertain. This systematic review investigates the use of mHealth technologies for contact tracing in Africa, with a specific focus on TB, Ebola, HIV, and COVID-19.

Objective:

The primary goal of this review was to enhance our understanding of the role of mHealth in contact tracing and provide insights for developing and implementing more efficient approaches, ultimately leading to improved outcomes.

Methods:

We found 11,943 articles but only 19 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on programmatic implementation rather than research, thus lacking robust evaluation to determine their effectiveness. Research studies that conducted robust evaluations had limited funding, which, in turn, limited their scope as well as their ability to meaningfully inform future work. Key factors influencing the success of mHealth technology, independently or combined, were incorporating a design thinking framework in the technology development and funding. Although lacking robust evaluations, programmatic implementations were often well-funded leading to substantive technology development, large-scale implementation, and relative success in meeting implementation outputs.

Results:

We found 11,943 articles but only 19 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies focused on programmatic implementation rather than research, thus lacking robust evaluation to determine their effectiveness. Research studies that conducted robust evaluations had limited funding, which, in turn, limited their scope as well as their ability to meaningfully inform future work. Key factors influencing the success of mHealth technology, either independently or combined, were the incorporation of a design thinking framework in the technology development and funding. Although lacking robust evaluations, programmatic implementations were often well-funded leading to substantive technology development, large-scale implementation, and relative success in meeting implementation outputs.

Conclusions:

The effectiveness of mHealth technologies for contact tracing remains uncertain due to inadequate evaluation, at the expense of rigorous scientific studies. Nevertheless, the use of design thinking frameworks and participatory methods, along with substantial funding, can contribute to the success of mHealth technologies in contact tracing. Future work should balance strong funding for rigorous development and outcome evaluation, possibly nesting evaluations in large programs. Addressing the shortcomings of both programmatic implementation and research can provide a more comprehensive understanding of mHealth's potential in contact tracing and pave the way for improved outcomes.