Qualitative Assessment of the Feasibility, Usability, and Acceptability of a Mobile Client Data App for Community-Based Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Care in Rural Ghana

Mobile phone applications may enhance the delivery of critical health services and the accuracy of health service data. Yet, the opinions and experiences of frontline health workers on using mobile apps to track pregnant and recently delivered women are underreported. This evaluation qualitatively a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications Vol. 2016; no. 2016; pp. 9 - 22
Main Authors: LeFevre, Amnesty E., Labrique, Alain B., Romano, Karen, Gee, Lisa, Yang, Fan, Moorthy, Anitha, Jennings, Larissa, Rothstein, Jessica D., Hutchful, David
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Limiteds 01.01.2016
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Wiley
Subjects:
Acceptability
Analysis
Applications programs
Assessments
Births
Cellular telephones
Child care
Children & youth
Childrens health
Data collection
Devices
Feasibility analysis
Funding
Health
Health services
Innovations
Investments
Lifesaving
Maternal mortality
Methods
Midwifery
Mobile applications
Nurses
Pediatric nursing
Portable computers
Postpartum period
Public health
Quality
Rural areas
Technology application
Usability
Womens health
Workers
Ghana
ISSN:1687-6415, 1687-6423
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Mobile phone applications may enhance the delivery of critical health services and the accuracy of health service data. Yet, the opinions and experiences of frontline health workers on using mobile apps to track pregnant and recently delivered women are underreported. This evaluation qualitatively assessed the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of a mobile Client Data App for maternal, neonatal, and child client data management by community health nurses (CHNs) in rural Ghana. The mobile app enabled CHNs to enter, summarize, and query client data. It also sent visit reminders for clients and provided a mechanism to report level of care to district officers. Fourteen interviews and two focus groups with CHNs, midwives, and district health officers were conducted, coded, and thematically analyzed. Results indicated that the app was easily integrated into care, improved CHN productivity, and was acceptable due to its capacity to facilitate client follow-up, data reporting, and decision-making. However, the feasibility and usability of the app were hindered by high client volumes, staff shortages, and software and device challenges. Successful integration of mobile client data apps for frontline health workers in rural and resource-poor settings requires real-time monitoring, program investments, and targeted changes in human resources.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
content type line 23
Academic Editor: Malcolm Clarke
ISSN:1687-6415
1687-6423
DOI:10.1155/2016/2515420