The Aga Khan Development Network eHealth Resource Centre (AKDN eHRC) was established in 2011 to support the eHealth needs of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) health agencies and their partner health institutions (governments and non-governmental organizations). AKDN eHRC employs information and communication technologies (ICT) to support the assessment, development and implementation of eHealth initiatives and activities of its clients primarily in South/Central Asia and East Africa.
AKDN eHRC supports AKDN health programmes and institutions that are working to improve the health status of communities in which AKDN operates by linking health institutions and health providers, promoting comprehensive and coordinated care to communities and minimizing the barriers of distance and time. The objective of the Centre’s work is to contribute to increasing the quality of health care provision, strengthen health systems, make health care accessible to people with reduced access and build capacity of health care professionals.
AKDN eHRC is committed to supporting the eHealth needs of the AKDN health agencies and their partner health institutions (governments and non-governmental organizations). Through the introduction and support for information and communication technologies, AKDN eHRC aims to enable AKDN health programmes and institutions improve access to and quality of health care and build capacities of health care providers, ensuring that access to health care is made available to vulnerable populations in the developing world.
AKDN eHRC believes that everyone should have access to safe, high-quality, low-cost and equitable health care. The work in the developing world, primarily in South/Central Asia and East Africa is to contribute to increasing the quality of health care provision, strengthen health systems, make health care accessible to people with reduced access and build capacity of health care professionals.
AKDN eHRC works closely with the clients to understand and identify their eHealth needs, providing them with customized, scalable and measurable eHealth solutions to help them achieve their health care objectives.
eHealth
eHealth is the use of electronic means such as Information and Communication Technology to improve the quality of care, enhance the managerial and clinical capacities of health personnel, promote relevant research, share information for decision-support and promote behavior change among communities living in rural and isolated areas. – World Health Organization
Teleconsultations - Consultation at a distance via video conferencing or store-and-forward mode, resulting in improved access to timely information, improved diagnosis and as a result, improved care.
eLearning - Professional development and capacity building via ICT to facilitate learning at a distance among health professionals to increase their knowledge and enhance clinical and managerial skills. eLearning builds knowledge about eHealth allowing health professionals to become comfortable with using eHealth tools.
mHealth - Mobile devices and mobile connectivity supporting health-related activities, thereby enhancing health promotion/disease prevention and behavioral change communication.
Health informatics - Capturing, processing, storing and retrieving health and business-related information thereby improving access to patient information and decision-making for the health of individuals. Health informatics also promotes business intelligence – using data in a meaningful way to make more informed health decisions.
