RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 ASHA Kirana: when digital technology empowered front-line health workers
JF BMJ Global Health
JO BMJ Global Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e005039
DO 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005039
VO 6
IS Suppl 5
A1 Srinidhi, V
A1 Karachiwala, Baneen
A1 Iyer, Aditi
A1 Reddy, Bhavya
A1 Mathrani, Vinalini
A1 Madhiwalla, Neha
A1 Periodi, Vani
A1 Sreevathsa, Anuradha
A1 Viswanatha, Lakshmi
A1 Sen, Gita
YR 2021
UL http://gh.bmj.com/content/6/Suppl_5/e005039.abstract
AB This practice paper describes our experience of implementing accredited social health activists (ASHA) Kirana, a digital technology-enabled Maternal Clinical Assessment Tool (M-CAT) and how the ASHAs felt empowered in the process. M-CAT aimed to train ASHAs to collect data that assists doctors in identifying maternal risks, in Karnataka, India. Systematic clinical assessment is not common in rural public health institutions. High caseloads, a tendency to ‘normalise’ maternal risks, varied competence of doctors and task shifting to insufficiently trained cadres may be some contributing factors. M-CAT was a response to this challenge. ASHAs asked a set symptom-cluster-based questions during home visits that were analysed by software algorithms to generate reports for doctors. M-CAT was implemented in one primary health centre with a group of 14 ASHAs, 2 auxiliary nurse midwives and 349 pregnant and postpartum women over 4 months. Our team worked with the ASHAs to refine the tool and supported them with training, hands-on assistance and regular debrief meetings. By learning how to collect individual-level data that they could interpret and act on, the ASHAs felt empowered with new knowledge on maternal risks. Their perfunctory data collection at home visits changed to substantive interactions with women and families, during which they captured pertinent qualitative information. The information asymmetry between doctors and ASHAs reduced. ASHAs started taking proactive steps on early indications of maternal risks. They changed from being mere transmitters of information to active users of it. Thus, technology-driven initiatives that include empowerment as an objective can strengthen the role of front-line workers in health systems.Deidentified summary of qualitative data from interviews and focus groups discussions are available from the correspoding author upon reasonable request.