Experiences of midwives and community health workers using mHealth to improve services to pregnant women in rural Burkina Faso, Africa

Abstract

Objective: This qualitative, descriptive study explored the experiences of midwives and community health workers (CHWs) using mhealth to improve the care provided to pregnant women living in the rural Diapangou region of Burkina Faso, Africa.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 CHWs and 4 community health center staff. Transcripts were content analyzed.Results: Despite internet connectivity challenges all participants agreed that mhealth allowed them to provide better maternal care. The service enhanced their practice collectively, through facilitating better follow-up care, promoting communication and collaboration, and facilitated management while simplifying administrative tasks. From a managerial perspective, having access to productivity information allowed for effective oversight and supervision of work-related activities. CHWs perceived additional work responsibilities and an opportunity for growth; however, both CHWs and staff recognized that the exposure to technology allowed them to achieve mastery of basic computer skills.Conclusions: The ‘digital divide’ remains a challenge in low resource settings, thus while findings are promising, Burkina Faso will have to wait to reap the full benefits of digital technology until a supportive infrastructure can be put in place.