Entre la promesa y la práctica: experiencias de los profesionales de salud materna, neonatal e infantil sobre las adaptaciones de los servicios digitales en Uganda durante la pandemia del COVID-19
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Introducción: La pandemia del COVID-19 interrumpió de forma severa los servicios de salud materna, neonatal e infantil (SMNI) en Uganda. Como respuesta, las herramientas de salud digital se adoptaron rápidamente como una de las estrategias para restablecer la prestación de servicios. Sin embargo, las experiencias de los profesionales de SMNI que implementaron estas adaptaciones siguen poco exploradas. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar cómo los profesionales de SMNI en Uganda vivieron las adaptaciones digitales implementadas para restablecer los servicios durante la pandemia.
Métodos: Este estudio cualitativo incluyó siete entrevistas en profundidad con profesionales de SMNI en Kampala, Uganda. Los participantes fueron seleccionados intencionalmente según su participación directa en las adaptaciones de salud digital durante la pandemia. Los datos se analizaron mediante análisis de contenido cualitativo para explorar tanto significados manifiestos como latentes en las experiencias de los participantes.
Resultados: Surgió un tema general: experimentar la digitalización como una paradoja entre la promesa y la práctica. Este tema estuvo respaldado por dos subtemas: reconocer los beneficios multidimensionales de la digitalización y entender la digitalización como solo “una parte del rompecabezas”, además de seis categorías. Los resultados muestran que, si bien las herramientas digitales mejoraron el equilibrio entre vida laboral y personal, la colaboración y la continuidad de los servicios, también evidenciaron barreras socioeconómicas y de infraestructura, especialmente en entornos rurales y de bajos ingresos.
Conclusiones: Las innovaciones en salud digital ofrecen un apoyo valioso para la prestación de servicios de SMNI durante emergencias de salud pública. No obstante, su efectividad está limitada por inequidades estructurales y exclusión digital. Esto resalta la necesidad de estrategias sensibles al contexto que equilibren la innovación tecnológica con las realidades estructurales y clínicas persistentes.
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