research-article

Changing data practices for community health workers: Introducing digital data collection in West Bengal, India

Authors:

Vaishnav Kameswaran,

Allyson Mackay,

Bhramar Mukherjee,

Priyamvada PandeyAuthors Info & Claims

ICTD '17: Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

Article No.: 17, Pages 1 - 12

https://doi.org/10.1145/3136560.3136582

Published: 16 November 2017 Publication History

Abstract

In this paper, we present our findings on the experiences of West Bengal Community Health Workers (CHWs) in transitioning from paper to tablet- and mobile-based data collection. Through qualitative interviews, usability testing and timed observations, we found that efficiency and quality of data collected were comparable between the use of tablet devices and traditional paper methods, but data collection performed on smaller mobile phone interfaces was less efficient compared to paper. There was no significant difference in the quality of data collected across all three modes. In terms of work practices, we found that while initial interactions with CHWs suggested positive feelings about switching to digital devices, in their actual practices they retained and preferred the use of paper, and had workarounds to circumvent the digital data collection process. While there were foreseeable challenges around individual user experience, such as device familiarity, and application interface flexibility, the more compelling challenge in transitioning CHWs to digital data collection was organizational. The agency of CHWs within organizations, the levels of training with both data practices and devices themselves, and the sense of comfort that the data collectors felt with the overall project emerge as important factors of attention for implementers of new data management practices.

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Cited By

Babirye DAnderson R(2024)Training and Support Practices and Insights in the Sustainability of mHealth Implementations in Sub-Saharan AfricaACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies10.1145/37076383:1(1-22)Online publication date: 16-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3707638
Gupta MKarnatak NJain M(2024)Understanding the Technology-Mediated Home Phlebotomy Ecosystem in IndiaProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374218:CSCW1(1-26)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
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Okolo CAgarwal DDell NVashistha A(2024)"If it is easy to understand then it will have value": Examining Perceptions of Explainable AI with Community Health Workers in Rural IndiaProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373488:CSCW1(1-28)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
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Index Terms

Changing data practices for community health workers: Introducing digital data collection in West Bengal, India
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Human computer interaction (HCI)
    1. HCI design and evaluation methods
      1. User studies

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cover image ACM Other conferences

ICTD '17: Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

November 2017

333 pages

ISBN:9781450352772

DOI:10.1145/3136560

Conference Chair:
Umar Saif
Information Technological University, Pakistan

Copyright © 2017 ACM.

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Published: 16 November 2017

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ICTD '17

ICTD '17: Ninth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development

November 16 - 19, 2017

Lahore, Pakistan

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Cited By

Babirye DAnderson R(2024)Training and Support Practices and Insights in the Sustainability of mHealth Implementations in Sub-Saharan AfricaACM Journal on Computing and Sustainable Societies10.1145/37076383:1(1-22)Online publication date: 16-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3707638
Gupta MKarnatak NJain M(2024)Understanding the Technology-Mediated Home Phlebotomy Ecosystem in IndiaProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374218:CSCW1(1-26)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637421
Okolo CAgarwal DDell NVashistha A(2024)"If it is easy to understand then it will have value": Examining Perceptions of Explainable AI with Community Health Workers in Rural IndiaProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36373488:CSCW1(1-28)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637348
Solano-Kamaiko IMishra DDell NVashistha A(2024)Explorable Explainable AI: Improving AI Understanding for Community Health Workers in IndiaProceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613904.3642733(1-21)Online publication date: 11-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3613904.3642733
Ismail AYadav DGupta MDabas KSingh PKumar N(2022)Imagining Caring Futures for Frontline Health WorkProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/35555816:CSCW2(1-30)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2022
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S P AVaghela PPal J(2022)Counting to be Counted: Anganwadi Workers and Digital Infrastructures of Ambivalent CareProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/35551776:CSCW2(1-36)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2022
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Sambasivan NVeeraraghavan R(2022)The Deskilling of Domain Expertise in AI DevelopmentProceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491102.3517578(1-14)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2022
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Thakkar DIsmail AKumar PHanna ASambasivan NKumar N(2022)When is Machine Learning Data Good?: Valuing in Public Health DataficationProceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491102.3501868(1-16)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2022
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Ismail A(2022)Towards Equitable Futures in Frontline Health:Design of Intelligent Systems for Supporting (Gendered) Care Work in Resource-Constrained SettingsExtended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491101.3503808(1-5)Online publication date: 27-Apr-2022
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Karunasena RAmbiya MSinha ANagar RDalal SAbdullah HThakkar DNarayanan DTambe M(2021)Measuring Data Collection Diligence for Community HealthcareProceedings of the 1st ACM Conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, and Optimization10.1145/3465416.3483292(1-12)Online publication date: 5-Oct-2021
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