mHealth clinical decision-making tools for maternal and perinatal health care in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review protocol

Background Mobile health (mHealth) tools are increasingly being used in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to improve the quality of health services. mHealth clinical decision-making tools have several established roles in maternal and perinatal healthcare including health surveillance, data collection and access to guidelines. The adoption of mHealth clinical decision-making tools in low-resource environments like SSA, as well as the lessons learnt from using them, have not yet been determined. As new mHealth technologies are quickly being evaluated and deployed in resource-poor settings, it is crucial to thoroughly analyse what has been accomplished in order to inform implementers and policy makers on the effectiveness of technology in evidence-based practice. Objective This study aims to synthesize the available evidence 1) on the use of mHealth clinical decision-making tools for maternal and perinatal care in SSA, and 2) whether these tools lead to improvements in the quality of maternal and perinatal care in SSA. Methods A systematic review of the literature will be performed to identify publications describing the use mHealth tools for maternal and perinatal clinical decision-making in SSA. PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Global Health and Web of Science will be searched for relevant articles following a predetermined search strategy with no date restrictions. A limited grey literature search will also be carried out. Two independent reviewers will screen the articles. Pre-determined data items will be extracted, and data synthesis carried out using a descriptive approach. Appraisal will be done using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation Health Systems (AGREE-HS) instrument. Conclusions This systematic review protocol for identifying and appraising mHealth clinical decision-making tools in maternal and perinatal care may help to establish best practice for developing and scaling up, thus help to improve care in SSA. Registration PROSPERO (CRD42023452760; 19 August 2023).: