Development of a Chatbot for Pregnant Women on a Posyandu Application in Indonesia: From Qualitative Approach to Decision Tree Method

Abstract

With the widespread application of digital healthcare, mobile health (mHealth) services are also developing in maternal and child health, primarily through community-based services, such as Posyandu in Indonesia. Patients need media for consultation and decision-making, while health workers are constrained in responding quickly. This study aimed to obtain information from pregnant women and midwives in developing a decision tree model as material for building a semi-automated chatbot. Using an exploratory qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted through focus group discussions (FGD) with pregnant women (n = 10) and midwives (n = 12) in March 2022. The results showed 38 codes, 15 categories, and 7 subthemes that generated 3 major themes: maternal health education, information on maternal health services, and health monitoring. The decision tree method was applied from these themes based on the needs of users, evidence, and expert sources to ensure quality. In summary, the need to use a semi-automated chatbot can be applied to education about maternal health and monitoring, where severe cases should be provided with non-automated communication with midwives. Applying the decision tree method ensured quality content, supported a clinical decision, and assisted in early detection. Furthermore, future research needs to measure user evaluation.