The CHARMS Application Suite: A Community‐Based Mobile Data Collection and Alerting Environment for HIV/AIDS Orphan and Vulnerable Children in Zambia
Brian A. Nejmeh, Tyler Dean · 2012
World Vision (WV) uses the Core HIV and AIDS Response Monitoring System (CHARMS) to track and measure core indicators related to individuals with HIV and AIDS within the communities WV serves. WV uses community care coalitions of volunteer caregivers to care for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The mobile application allows for caregivers to record CHARMS data using the mobile application and transmit the data in real time using an SMS-based wireless communication service. The application also includes real-time Web- and e-mail-based reporting and mobile phone alerting based on key events. During the summer of 2009, a field pilot project was conducted in Zambia involving 10 caregivers. The caregivers said the cell phone application either had a very positive (80%) or positive (20%) impact on the quality of their home visit. Controlled Vocabulary Terms unsolicited e-mail