Nepal team 2015/016

EpiNurse Nepal

EpiNurse Nepal began in August 2015 and was completed in April 2016, using an exploratory, descriptive design and action research approach that allowed the investigation of a quality improvement process that simultaneously supports changed management.

Monitoring was conducted by trained local nurses using the toolkit in Kathmandu for 4 months at 24 Camps in 10 affected districts (Gorkha, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Kavrepalanchok, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur).

Traditional paper and telephone method for data collection took more time than the smartphone application due to difficult accessibility of telephone lines. To solve this problem, we developed a new application in collaboration with Kathmandu Living Labs, a Nepali civic tech company. The mobile application collected shelter related data and information, such as location and timestamps, geo-tagged photos, and specific questionnaire with location information by the geotagging function. This system development and active engagement process were designed to engage local nurses in quality improvement.

This result shows one of the ways practical and solution-oriented rapid collaboration can challenge conventional public health security monitoring systems that require near real-time, population-based, statistical alarms to alert to unusual activity. It also includes some key issues to develop the next methodological model of health monitoring, offering a strong interactive network which crosses cultural and societal differences, geographies and generations.