Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The imperative for improving health in the world's poorest regions lies in research, yet there is no question that low participation, a lack of trained staff, and limited opportunities for data sharing in developing countries impede advances in medical practice and public health knowledge. Extensive studies are essential to develop new treatments and to identify better ways to manage healthcare issues. Recent rapid advances in availability and uptake of digital technologies, especially of mobile networks, have the potential to overcome several barriers to collaborative research in remote places with limited access to resources. Many research groups are already taking advantage of these technologies for data sharing and capture, and these initiatives indicate that increasing acceptance and use of digital technology could promote rapid improvements in global medical science.

Original publication

DOI

10.1126/science.1199349

Type

Journal article

Journal

Science

Publication Date

11/02/2011

Volume

331

Pages

714 - 717

Keywords

Biomedical Research, Clinical Trials as Topic, Computers, Handheld, Data Collection, Databases, Factual, Developing Countries, Geographic Information Systems, Global Health, Health Policy, Humans, Information Dissemination, Internet, Public Health, Software