How Do Community Workers Feel about mHealth?

CORE Group Spring Session 2011

Mali Bolivia Yemen

El Salvador Armenia Sudan

Guatemala Haiti Uganda

Egypt Mozambique Vietnam

Jordan Mali Philippines

Bangladesh Pakistan Myanmar

Malawi Tajikistan Guinea

Afghanistan West Bank

Awaiting Data Input – Haiti (Save the Children USA)

Survey Coordinator – Bolivia (Save the Children USA)

Microfinance Registries – Myanmar (Save UK)

Cell PhonesPDA

NetbookLaptop

The Tools

Because it is everywhere…

Start with the end-user in mind. 

How can mobile technology help them do what they’re already doing?

- Adam Slote Chief Health Advisor, USAID Global Health, GH Mini U, October 2010

The Users

“People don't want to have apps which solve what YOU think are problems

They want apps which solves what THEY think is a problem.”

- Christopher Kusek (@CXI), retweeted by Ed Jezierski (@edjez) 3 May 2011

The Users

Photo: CommCare – Futures Group, 18 Dec 2009

Each technology deployment has

unique characteristics and needs.

The solution must be carefully thought out. It must be inclusive of all stakeholders.

• Donor• Program• M&E• IT• Field Staff• CHW• Beneficiary

Fight the urge to push the solution without input of all stakeholders.

The solution must satisfy the program need.

But, it must work in the hands of the User.

It’s not about technology…

it’s about People.

Afghanistan March 2011

Technology is becoming easy...

Problems can be solved - they are technical!

The Challenge is:

Point of interaction between user and beneficiary

How should I begin?

Functionality - What can it do?

Usability - Can it be used?

Scalability – Can it be used on a wider scale?

Technology Solution Criteria

1st – clearly understand your “What”

•Program and intervention needs.

•M&E indicators(Results Framework)

Functionality

The “What” always precedes the “How”

(The “How” is the technology “Solution”)

Functionality

Technology serves your “What”……not the other way around.

Resist forcing your “What” to fit the “How”.

Functionality

Technology always works in the lab and during training…

…it can quickly become irrelevant in the context of field conditions.

Usability

“What Device?”

“If it doesn’t work in the field…

…then it doesn’t work”.

Usability

Small pilots are often successful…

but they seldom scale up to wider implementations

Scalability

So….Your solution worked!

Can your solution expand to additional locations?

Hint: Consider “Cloud”-based Software as a Service” (SaaS) solutions.

Scalability

Additional Considerations Before You Begin

Connectivity: not available available

Power availability: low (car battery/solar) high

Data transfer method: USB SMS GPRS Network

Data quality: not important important

Survey structure: simple complex (branching)

Data Privacy and Security: low high

Google Groups: ICT4CHW

ict4chw@go oglegroups .com

Moderated by Dr. Neal Lesh of D-Tree

mHealth and the CHW