Modern information and communication technologies have increasingly prominent roles in health care systems. To capitalize on attainable benefits, it is essential to thoroughly and purposefully weave them into the existing business processes. The challenges of doing so can be exacerbated by specific local circumstances of developing countries. We
share our experiences from fielding a system designed to support real-time collection and analysis of public health data in rural areas of Sri Lanka and India. Its strong transformational potential has been proven, however, success of the ultimate field use requires overcoming multiple organizational and utility challenges.
Objective
We review challenges faced during the initial period of implementation of a Real-Time Biosurveillance Program in developing countries.