Mobile Health (m-Health) has emerged as a pivotal solution to the healthcare delivery challenges faced by developing countries, offering a promising avenue to bridge significant healthcare gaps. This systematic literature review synthesizes research findings from developing nations to assess the readiness for m-Health adoption, focusing on a complex interplay of technological access, security concerns, socio-economic disparities, and cultural influences. Utilizing a systematic review methodology following Kitchenham and Charters' guidelines, the research analysed primary studies and existing literature to provide a comprehensive overview of m-Health adoption readiness. Findings revealed that while m-Health holds substantial promise for improving healthcare access and outcomes, its adoption is hindered by digital literacy deficits, lack of infrastructure, and resistance to technological change. The research emphasizes the critical role of government support and global partnerships in facilitating m-Health implementation. Limitations of this research include its reliance on published studies up to 2022, potentially omitting recent advancements and broader geographical representations. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to track m-Health adoption readiness trends over time and explore the impact of emerging technologies on healthcare delivery in these regions.
Aboelmaged, M., Hashem, G., & Mouakket, S. (2021). Predicting subjective well-being among mHealth users: A readiness – value model. International Journal of Information Management, 56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102247
Alaiad, A., Alsharo, M., & Alnsour, Y. (2019). The determinants of m-health adoption in developing countries: An empirical investigation. Applied Clinical Informatics, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1697906
Chowdhury, M. M. H., & Jahan, S. (2014). Applicability of mHealth for healthcare management in developing countries: A study in Bangladesh. International Journal of Bio-Science and Bio-Technology, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.14257/ijbsbt.2014.6.4.11
Diez-Canseco, F., Alfredo Zavala-Loayza, J., Beratarrechea, A., Kanter, R., Ramirez-Zea, M., Rubinstein, A., Martinez, H., & Jaime Miranda, J. (2015). Design and multi-country validation of text messages for an mhealth intervention for primary prevention of progression to hypertension in Latin America. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.2196/mhealth.3874
Eze, E., Gleasure, R., & Heavin, C. (2021). Worlds apart: A socio-material exploration of mHealth in rural areas of developing countries. Information Technology and People, 35(8). https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-04-2020-0228
Handayani, P. W., Indriani, R., & Pinem, A. A. (2021). Mobile health readiness factors: From the perspectives of mobile health users in Indonesia. Informatics in Medicine Unlocked, 24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imu.2021.100590
Khatun, F., Heywood, A. E., Ray, P. K., Hanifi, S. M. A., Bhuiya, A., & Liaw, S. T. (2015). Determinants of readiness to adopt mHealth in a rural community of Bangladesh. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 84(10).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2015.06.008
Kitchenham, B. (2007). Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering. Technical Report, Ver. 2.3 EBSE Technical Report. EBSE.
McNabb, M., Chukwu, E., Ojo, O., Shekhar, N., Gill, C. J., Salami, H., & Jega, F. (2015). Assessment of the quality of antenatal care services provided by health workers using a mobile phone decision support application in northern Nigeria: A pre/post-intervention study. PLoS ONE, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123940
Mechael, P. N. (2009). The case for mhealth in developing countries. Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1162/itgg.2009.4.1.103
Nguyen, H. L., Tran, K., Doan, P. L. N., & Nguyen, T. (2022). Demand for mobile health in developing countries during COVID-19: Vietnamese’s perspectives from different age groups and health conditions. Patient Preference and Adherence, 16. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S348790
Oliveira-Ciabati, L., Vieira, C. S., Franzon, A. C. A., Alves, D., Zaratini, F. S., Braga, G. C., Sanchez, J. A. C., Bonifácio, L. P., Andrade, M. S., Fernandes, M., Quintana, S. M., Fabio, S. V., Pileggi, V. N., Vieira, E. M., & Souza, J. P. (2017). PRENACEL - A mHealth messaging system to complement antenatal care: A cluster randomized trial. Reproductive Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-017-0407-1
Rasekaba, T. M., Pereira, P., Vinaya Rani, G., Johnson, R., McKechnie, R., & Blackberry, I. (2022). Exploring telehealth readiness in a resource limited setting: Digital and health literacy among older people in Rural India (DAHLIA). Geriatrics (Switzerland), 7(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics7020028
Wu, P., Zhang, R., Zhu, X., & Liu, M. (2022). Factors influencing continued usage behavior on mobile health applications. Healthcare (Switzerland), 10(2).
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10020208
Modu, M. M., & Iahad, N. A. (2024). Mobile Health Adoption Readiness in Developing Countries: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(12), 2267–2279.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode