Information and communication technologies in neonatal health

• Published in: Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
• Main Authors: Pablo Duran, Janine A. Sommer, Paula Otero, Mariana Daus, Sonia Benitez, Suzanne Serruya, Luis Andres De Francisco
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2020
• Subjects: information technology; infant health; evidence-based medicine; perinatal care; ehealth strategies; telemedicine; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2020.123; https://doaj.org/article/db2f3e1a08a14c82a50af80a2e9d1b38

Objectives. To identify scientific evidence on the use and results of information and communication technologies for the improvement of neonatal health in general or specific health problems or interventions, and to describe the type of intervention and its results. Methods. A systematic review of the available evidence was performed. The search was carried out in peerreviewed journals between January 1, 2008 and April 30, 2018, in English and Spanish. The searched key terms were (health informatics OR telemedicine OR mHealth) AND (newborn OR newborn care OR neonatal care). Results. From a total of 305 articles initially identified, 10 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The main domains of eHealth identified as applied to neonatal health were telemedicine (3 studies), eLearning (1 study) and mHealth (7 studies). Target population were health care providers or parents. The studies aimed at diagnosis, provision of health care and training, promoting adherence to interventions in parents or improving quality of care. Conclusions. The use of eHealth in general and specifically focused on neonatal health shows important possibilities for development and expansion, given the advances and present needs, and should be considered a key tool for the reduction of inequalities.