Abstract:
Objective.
Mobile phones have been successfully used for Emergency Department
(ED) patient follow-up in developed countries. Mobile phones are widely available in
developing countries and may o
ff
er a similar potential for follow-up and continued
care of ED patients in low and middle-income countries. The goal of this study was to
determine the percentage of families with mobile phones presenting to a pediatric ED
in western Kenya and rate of response to a follow-up phone call after discharge.
Methods.
A prospective, cross-sectional observational study of children presenting
to the emergency department of a government referral hospital in Eldoret, Kenya was
performed. Documentation of mobile phone access, including phone number, was
recorded. If families had access, consent was obtained and families were contacted 7
days after discharge for follow-up.
Results.
Of 788 families, 704 (89.3%) had mobile phone access. Of those families
discharged from the ED, successful follow-up was made in 83.6% of cases.
Conclusions.
Mobile phones are an available technology for follow-up of patients
discharged from a pediatric emergency department in resource-limited western
Kenya.