Table 3 A checklist for guiding the selection, development, implementation, evaluation, and policies regarding mHealth for treatment and care of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa

Patient context factors

• The personal characteristics of patients, which predispose them to utilize the services provided by the intervention. For example:

 a. Enthusiasm to use mobile phone/device

 b. Educational/literacy level

 c. Age (may be more sustainable among middle/older age groups)

 d. Local content/language of locality

 e. Cultural and social acceptance

• The needs of patients to access the required healthcare services. For example:

 a. Disease severity and comorbidities

 b. Barriers to accessing care/information

• The necessary enabling (personal and community) resources to facilitate the implementation of the intervention. This includes:

 a. Access to mobile phone/device (essential)

 b. Stable and accessible communication networks and technology infrastructure (essential)

 c. Convenience and privacy (essential)

 d. Socio-technical support (essential)

 e. Affordable services (critical)

 f. Awareness raising (for increased participation)

Provider context factors

• The personal characteristics of healthcare providers, which predispose them to deliver health services through a mHealth intervention. For example:

 a. Experience and competence

 b. Positive attitude toward technology

 c. Basic knowledge of the technology involved

 d. Fluency in language of locality

 e. Understandable language of communication among users and technical support team (software developers)

• The needs of healthcare providers to deliver the required healthcare services. For example:

 a. Characteristics of disease conditions (extent, severity)

 b. Characteristics of diagnostic and treatment tasks

 c. Burden of workload

 d. Adequacy of referral and transport systems

• The necessary enabling (personal and community) resources to facilitate the utilization of the intervention. This includes:

 a. Access to mobile phone/device and stable networks (in underserved communities)

 b. Easy portability and operability (features, apps, functionalities, etc.)

 c. Available basic infrastructural resources (good roads, ambulance services)

 d. Suitability and equivalence to existing/alternative care processes (attractive)

 e. Tolerable burden of workload and incentives (essential)

 f. Maintenance-technical support (essential)

 g. Continuous training and sensitization

 h. Low operating costs and available funds/logistics

 i. Policy and regulation (network/data protection, staff job descriptions, and contracts, etc.)