Assessment of Design and Implementation Attributes of Mhealth Interventions: A Systematic Review

Samson Mfuyeni, Ministry of Health - Malawi
Yamikani Yafeti, Lake Malawi Anglican University

This systematic review examined mHealth intervention designs and implementation strategies and assessed their effect on interventions’ health outcomes. Major databases and grey literature were searched for relevant studies using the main search terms “mHealth” and “Africa”. The search was restricted to articles published from 2010 to 2022. Only studies evaluating the effectiveness of non-internet-based communication services were eligible for inclusion. After screening, eleven (11) studies were included in the systematic review. The review demonstrated that mHealth interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa are mostly effective, weekly text medication reminders and tailored health promotion text messages significantly improve effectiveness of mHealth interventions. However, interactivity, message automation and use of behaviour change theories do not significantly improve effectiveness of mHealth interventions. Short text and tailored messages have potential to improve the success of mHealth interventions. Health promotion interventions can leverage these design attributes to enhance the reach and quality of healthcare services being promoted.