Building quality mHealth for low resource settings

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Health Informatics
• Bioethics

Background:

• Community health care workers (CHCW) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are vital for healthcare delivery.
• Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are increasingly used to support CHCWs.
• Limited regulatory oversight in LMIC necessitates careful development of medical device quality and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an mHealth app for CHCWs in rural South Africa.
• To evaluate the combined impact of human-centred design (HCD) and bioethics consultation on app quality and safety.

Main Methods:

• Applied a human-centred design (HCD) approach during app development.
• Integrated bioethics consultation throughout the development process.
• Focused on CHCW needs, capacities, safety, social implications, and the CHCW-patient relationship.

Main Results:

• HCD ensured the mHealth app met the specific needs and capabilities of CHCWs.
• Bioethics consultation proactively addressed safety concerns and societal impacts.
• The integrated approach enhanced the overall design quality of the mHealth app.

Conclusions:

• Combining HCD with bioethics consultation is an effective strategy for developing high-quality, safe mHealth apps for LMIC.
• This approach can mitigate risks associated with medical devices in settings with limited regulatory oversight.
• Prioritizing ethical considerations and user-centeredness is crucial for successful mHealth implementation.