Mobile Health in Uganda: A Case Study of the Medical Concierge Group

Abstract

The ubiquity of mobile phones offers an opportunity for a
paradigm change in health-care delivery, which may offer solutions to
some of the challenges faced by the health sector in Uganda. The Medical
Concierge Group (TMCG) is a digital health company, headquartered in
Uganda, which leverages on mobile phone-based platforms – such as short
messaging service (SMS), voice calling – and social media to deliver
health services. Just over two-thirds (68%) of users of TMCG’s services
are males between 18 and 30 years of age. SMS reminders have improved
the honouring of health facility appointments among HIV-positive
clients, from 60% to 90%; retention rates at supported health facilities
have improved from 45% to 89%. Furthermore, information dissemination
has been achieved via mobile SMS, wherein subscribers can access health
content on diverse topics – such as HIV/AIDS prevention and family
planning – by sending messages to a pre-defined short code to a phone
line. Over 900 beneficiaries have accessed health content via SMS
subscriptions. Social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter,
are used for health information dissemination and have enabled a wider
reach to over 13 million beneficiaries accessing health information on
TMCG’s Facebook page alone. Tailoring mobile phone-based health content
to meet the target beneficiaries’ needs is critical for TMCG’s impact
and uptake. With rising rates of phone ownership and Internet
connectivity in Uganda, mobile phones offer an affordable and proven
adoptable avenue to overcome the chronic challenges faced by the health
sector.