Thanks for great discussions. While I don’t have direct research feedback, I think the issues of informal mHealth will only get stronger in light of the recent funding cuts. Govts will have to scale back their investments in digital health and health services generally, but reliance on digital tools and mobile phones will probably not go away. So all the more reason to think about how informal use may be leveraged without exacerbating inequities and drawbacks.
On a separate note, when my mom was in the hospital in the US, I saw some WhatsApp-like communication tools that were vetted by the hospital and seemed to have security protocols. The health workers found it easy to use, and I appreciated it for the convenience and efficiency that health workers could communicate and give updates from their colleagues.
Thanks,
Tigest
HIFA profile: Tigest Tamrat is a Technical Officer at the World Health Organisation in Switzerland. She is a member of the HIFA mHelth-Innovate working group. https://www.hifa.org/support/members/tigest tigest AT gmail.com