This open access book explores ways to leverage information technology and machine learning to combat disease and promote health, especially in resource-constrained settings. It focuses on digital disease surveillance through the application of machine learning to non-traditional data sources. Developing countries are uniquely prone to large-scale emerging infectious disease outbreaks due to disruption of ecosystems, civil unrest, and poor healthcare infrastructure - and without comprehensive surveillance, delays in outbreak identification, resource deployment, and case management can be catastrophic. In combination with context-informed analytics, students will learn how non-traditional digital disease data sources - including news media, social media, Google Trends, and Google Street View - can fill critical knowledge gaps and help inform on-the-ground decision-making when formal surveillance systems are insufficient.

This open access book explores ways to leverage information technology and machine learning to combat disease and promote health, especially in resource-constrained settings. It focuses on digital disease surveillance through the application of machine learning to non-traditional data sources. Developing countries are uniquely prone to large-scale emerging infectious disease outbreaks due to disruption of ecosystems, civil unrest, and poor healthcare infrastructure - and without comprehensive surveillance, delays in outbreak identification, resource deployment, and case management can be catastrophic. In combination with context-informed analytics, students will learn how non-traditional digital disease data sources - including news media, social media, Google Trends, and Google Street View - can fill critical knowledge gaps and help inform on-the-ground decision-making when formal surveillance systems are insufficient.

Key concepts, frameworks, examples, and lessons learned in designing and implementing health information and communication technology systems in the developing world. The widespread usage of mobile phones that bring computational power and data to our fingertips has enabled new models for tracking and battling disease. The developing world in particular has become a proving ground for innovation in eHealth (using communication and technology tools in healthcare) and mHealth (using the affordances of mobile technology in eHealth systems). In this book, experts from a variety of disciplines-among them computer science, medicine, public health, policy, and business-discuss key concepts, frameworks, examples, and lessons learned in designing and implementing digital health systems in the developing world. The contributors consider such topics as global health disparities and quality of care; aligning eHealth strategies with government policy; the role of monitoring and evaluation in improving care; databases, patient registries, and electronic health records; the lifecycle of a digital health system project; software project management; privacy and security; and evaluating health technology systems.