Ehealth as the trigger initiative that may foster development in health care delivery in Tanzania

Abstract

The Tanzania Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children developed eHealth Strategy aims to leverage the implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in health service delivery [4]. The eHealth strategy in Tanzania was accord from the World Health Organisation after recognized the usage of ICT in supporting the delivery of health and health-related interventions [11]. The strategy promised various issues to be done by the Ministry in various capacities through its 16 Strategic Objectives (SO). Those promises were divided into four main categories of implementation which are eHealth Foundation with three SO, eHealth Solution with eleven SO, Change and Adoption with one SO, and lastly eHealth Governance with one SO. The implementation of eHealth initiatives has contributed tremendously to the changes and awareness of ICT in health services delivery in various capacities due to well-structured and adhering of the SO agreed on 2013. This has proven by changes of attitude for the health practitioners including doctors, nurses, administrators who are working to the health facilities in Tanzania. Clients who receive health care at health facilities are recognizing the importance of ICT in service delivery especially on reducing waiting time, and through the existing link between one department for example finance unit, medical record unit, and dispensing/pharmacy during the delivery of care to patients this link facilitate well-structured communication within the facility which smoothening the client/patients to practitioners interaction. Furthermore, it improved access of client information for the purpose of proper completion of a continuum of care to authorized practitioners within the facility.