Volume 25, Issue 111, May, 2021

Acceptance of mHealth technologies among Auxiliary Nurse Midwives in Andhra Pradesh, India: A mixed method study

Prakash Babu Kodali^1♦, Shankar Das²

¹Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala, India
²Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

^♦Corresponding author
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Frontline health workers such as auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) play an important role in implementation of mHealth programmes. Despite their extensive engagement, limited published studies examined mHealth acceptance among Indian ANMs. Materials and Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted to examine the acceptance of mHealth technologies by ANMs in Andhra Pradesh, India. A survey of 272 ANMs and 21 in-depth interviews (12 ANMs and 9 Planners) were conducted. Statistical analysis and thematic analysis were employed to analyse quantitative and qualitative data respectively. Results: 56.3% of ANMs had low acceptance of mHealth. Perceived usefulness, results demonstrability, and technical competence etc., are significantly predicted ANMs acceptance of mHealth. Additionally, government prioritization of mHealth, dynamic mHealth environment and existence of multiple data systems influenced mHealth acceptance of ANMs. Conclusion: Our study is among the early studies in India which examined acceptance of mHealth health technologies implemented as state run programmes. It identifies several actionable dimensions which impact the acceptance of mHealth technologies among frontline health workers like ANMs.

Keywords: Auxiliary Nurse Midwives; Digital Health; mHealth; Frontline health workers; Technology Acceptance

Medical Science, 2021, 25(111), 1052-1060

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