Maternal healthcare service transformation: Exploring opportunities for IT use in task shifting

Abstract

The transformation of healthcare services is expected to reduce health inequalities and to accelerate gains in health outcomes. Task shifting is one of the strategies adopted in healthcare transformation to make efficient use of human resources. However, limited research exists on how tasks are shifted beyond midwives, to involve community health workers or village health team members (VHTs) and pregnant women, and how IT supports and or triggers execution of shifted tasks. We examine the shifting of tasks in maternal healthcare, by interviewing midwives and VHTs in three districts in Uganda. Findings show four categories of tasks shifted at various levels of healthcare but with limited use of IT to execute tasks. We propose a model depicting opportunities for IT use both as an enabler and a trigger in executing tasks shifted. We recommend further investigations to identify IT opportunities that would trigger service exchange for pregnant women beyond health workers to include families and friends.