A Mobile App for Illiterate and Semi-illiterate Pregnant Women- A User Centered Approach

Abstract

Mobile technology is utilized in health care to improve service delivery, but researchers and developers have mainly focused on developing applications that are usable by people who can read and write. While it is relatively easy for literate women to access maternal health information via mHealth apps and search engines like Google, it is almost impossible for their illiterate counterparts to enjoy such privileges. We present an android based mobile health application designed for illiterate and semi-illiterate women, that provides personalized maternal health information, a reminder functionality and a call functionality. To get user requirements for the application, we conducted a field study in form of semi-structured interviews and focused group discussions with illiterate and semi-illiterate pregnant women and health practitioners in maternal health care from Uganda, and designers/developers of applications for low resource settings. The design of the application follows a user centered iterative process. The application was tested for functionality and usability by the pregnant women.