Providing Decision Support for Antiretroviral Therapy in a Resource Deprived Setting using Mobile Technology

As a result of the reduction in the price of patented Antiretrovirals (ARVs) and the increase in availability of generic ARVs, the potential exists to provide treatment to a greater number of people who are infected with HIV/AIDS. Conversely, health systems in sub-Saharan Africa are struggling to distribute these newly available ARVs as they do not have sufficient human resources. Community based healthcare workers have the potential to aid this process by delivering elements of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) but many of them have yet to receive appropriate training. However by providing training on it´s own to these healthcare workers (HCWs) is not a panacea. In addition to training, constant support is necessary for healthcare workers who may require direction or reassurance in administering ART. This paper introduces a prototype knowledge-based application which uses mobile technology to deliver restricted decision support to HCWs who are administering ART in a resource deprived setting. The rationale behind choosing mobile technology is identified along with the methodology used to encapsulate the Ugandan guidelines for ART in an electronic format. Particular attention is given to Uganda as result of contact being made with HIV/AIDS specialists from St James´ Hospital (SJH) Dublin who are currently based in the AIDS Treatment Information Centre, University of Makerere, Uganda.