PMID- 26481106 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20160623 LR - 20220318 IS - 1475-2875 (Electronic) IS - 1475-2875 (Linking) VI - 14 DP - 2015 Oct 19 TI - Feasibility and cost of using mobile phones for capturing drug safety information in peri-urban settlement in Ghana: a prospective cohort study of patients with uncomplicated malaria. PG - 411 LID - 10.1186/s12936-015-0932-8 [doi] LID - 411 AB - BACKGROUND: The growing need to capture data on health and health events using faster and efficient means to enable prompt evidence-based decision-making is making the use of mobile phones for health an alternative means to capture anti-malarial drug safety data. This paper examined the feasibility and cost of using mobile phones vis-a-vis home visit to monitor adverse events (AEs) related to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treatment of uncomplicated malaria in peri-urban Ghana. METHODS: A prospective, observational, cohort study conducted on 4270 patients prescribed ACT in 21 health facilities. The patients were actively followed by telephone or home visit to document AEs associated with anti-malarial drugs. Call duration and travel distances of each visit were recorded. Pre-paid call cards and fuel for motorbike travels were used to determine cost of conducting both follow-ups. Ms-Excel 2010 and STATA 11.2 were used for analysis. RESULTS: Of the 4270 patients recruited, 4124 (96.6 %) were successfully followed up and analyzed. Of these, 1126/4124 (27.3 %) were children under 5 years. Most 3790/4124 (91.9 %) follow-ups were done within 7 days of ACT intake. Overall, follow up by phone (2671/4124-64.8 %) was almost two times the number done by home visits (1453/4124-35.2 %). Duration of telephone calls ranged from 38 s to 53 min, costing between GH cent0.26 (0.20USD) and GH cent41.70 (27.USD). On the average, the calls lasted 3 min 51 s (SD = 3 min, 21 s) costing GH cent2.70 (0.77USD). Distance travelled for home visit ranged from 0.65 to 62 km costing GH cent0.29 (0.20USD) and GH cent279.00 (79.70USD). Thirty-two per cent (1128/4124) of patients reported AEs. In total, 1831 AE were reported, 1016/1831(55.5 %) by telephone and 815/1831 (44.5 %) by home visits. Events such as nausea, dizziness, diarrhoea, and vomiting were commonly reported. CONCLUSION: Majority of patients was successfully followed up by telephone and reported the most AEs. The cost of telephone interviewing was almost two times less than the cost of home visit. Telephone follow up should be considered for monitoring drug adverse events in low resource settings. FAU - Kukula, Vida Ami AU - Kukula VA AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. vida.kukula@gmail.com. FAU - Dodoo, Alexander A N AU - Dodoo AA AD - Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. alexoo@yahoo.com. FAU - Akpakli, Jonas AU - Akpakli J AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. jaselasi@gmail.com. FAU - Narh-Bana, Solomon A AU - Narh-Bana SA AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. narhbana@gmail.com. FAU - Clerk, Christine AU - Clerk C AD - Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. caclerk@gmail.com. FAU - Adjei, Alexander AU - Adjei A AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. caesar306@yahoo.com. FAU - Awini, Elizabeth AU - Awini E AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. awini.elizabeth@gmail.com. FAU - Manye, Simon AU - Manye S AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. simonmanye@gmail.com. FAU - Nagai, Richard Afedi AU - Nagai RA AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. richardafedi@gmail.com. FAU - Odonkor, Gabriel AU - Odonkor G AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. gabriel.odonkor@gmail.com. FAU - Nikoi, Christian AU - Nikoi C AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. Christian.niikoi@gmail.com. FAU - Adjuik, Martin AU - Adjuik M AD - INDEPTH-Network, Accra, Ghana. madjuik@gmail.com. FAU - Akweongo, Patricia AU - Akweongo P AD - Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. akweongo@gmail.com. FAU - Baiden, Rita AU - Baiden R AD - INDEPTH-Network, Accra, Ghana. rita.baiden@indepth-network.org. FAU - Ogutu, Bernhards AU - Ogutu B AD - INDEPTH-Network, Accra, Ghana. bernhards.ogutu@indepth-network.org. FAU - Binka, Fred AU - Binka F AD - INDEPTH-Network, Accra, Ghana. fred.binka@gmail.com. AD - University of Science and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana. fred.binka@gmail.com. FAU - Gyapong, Margaret AU - Gyapong M AD - Dodowa Health Research Centre, Dodowa, Ghana. Margaret.gyapong@ghsmail.org. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Observational Study PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20151019 PL - England TA - Malar J JT - Malaria journal JID - 101139802 RN - 0 (Antimalarials) RN - 0 (Artemisinins) RN - 9RMU91N5K2 (artemisinin) SB - IM MH - Adolescent MH - Adult MH - Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems/economics/*organization & administration MH - Antimalarials/*adverse effects/therapeutic use MH - Artemisinins/*adverse effects/therapeutic use MH - *Cell Phone MH - Child MH - Child, Preschool MH - Drug Therapy, Combination/adverse effects MH - Female MH - Ghana MH - Health Care Costs MH - Humans MH - Infant MH - Infant, Newborn MH - Malaria/*drug therapy MH - Male MH - Prospective Studies MH - Suburban Population MH - Young Adult PMC - PMC4615326 EDAT- 2015/10/21 06:00 MHDA- 2016/06/24 06:00 PMCR- 2015/10/19 CRDT- 2015/10/21 06:00 PHST- 2015/07/23 00:00 [received] PHST- 2015/10/07 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2015/10/21 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2015/10/21 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2016/06/24 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2015/10/19 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1186/s12936-015-0932-8 [pii] AID - 932 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s12936-015-0932-8 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Malar J. 2015 Oct 19;14:411. doi: 10.1186/s12936-015-0932-8.