Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme
Background: The Health and Family Welfare Department of Gujarat implemented a mHealth Programme called TeCHO+ (Technology for Community Health Operations) in 2018. TeCHO+ is aimed at making progress across all dimensions of the comprehensive primary healthcare services. Objective: The objective of t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2020-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2020;volume=9;issue=1;spage=340;epage=346;aulast=Saha |
| _version_ | 1811209003766644736 |
|---|---|
| author | Somen Saha Priya Kotwani Apurvakumar Pandya Chintan Patel Komal Shah Deepak Saxena Tapasvi Puwar Shrey Desai Dashrath M Patel A V Sethuraman Jayanti S Ravi |
| author_facet | Somen Saha Priya Kotwani Apurvakumar Pandya Chintan Patel Komal Shah Deepak Saxena Tapasvi Puwar Shrey Desai Dashrath M Patel A V Sethuraman Jayanti S Ravi |
| author_sort | Somen Saha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The Health and Family Welfare Department of Gujarat implemented a mHealth Programme called TeCHO+ (Technology for Community Health Operations) in 2018. TeCHO+ is aimed at making progress across all dimensions of the comprehensive primary healthcare services. Objective: The objective of this study is to record the document rollout and early implementation experience of TeCHO+ programme in Gujarat. Methods: The present participatory process documentation exercise was undertaken in Gujarat. The various steps for process documentation were decided after participation in multiple task force meetings and state/district- and taluka-level action seminars and reviewing the TeCHO+ programme data and progress reports. The perceptions of the health officials and field staff were gathered using key informant interviews from five districts of Gujarat: Bharuch, Narmada, Gandhinagar, Mahisagar, and The Dangs. In addition, stakeholders involved with TeCHO+ Programme were interviewed to understand the process of rollout, implementation challenges, and success. Results: In the initial phase, the TeCHO+ application focussed only on updating the Family Health Survey to improve the quality of data captured in the system. FHWs log-in the mobile application daily to access their daily work plan for which SMS alerts were are also generated. Most FHWs were in their 50s and were first-time smartphone users. Although, they were enthusiastic and open to the new technology, initially they faced certain difficulties in operating the application. The programme had a strong troubleshooting mechanism in terms of the use of WhatsApp group, helpline numbers, and voice calls in addition to supportive supervision. Discussion: TeCHO+ showed the potential to enhance the quality of the collected data and also service coverage. However, poor technology literacy of old FHWs, the launch of multiple programme memes at the same time, and target-driven task assignments pose major challenges. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:31:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-89541093bf0e48c39a8a0950ff0b552e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2249-4863 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T04:31:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-89541093bf0e48c39a8a0950ff0b552e2022-12-22T03:47:55ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Family Medicine and Primary Care2249-48632020-01-019134034610.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_835_19Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programmeSomen SahaPriya KotwaniApurvakumar PandyaChintan PatelKomal ShahDeepak SaxenaTapasvi PuwarShrey DesaiDashrath M PatelA V SethuramanJayanti S RaviBackground: The Health and Family Welfare Department of Gujarat implemented a mHealth Programme called TeCHO+ (Technology for Community Health Operations) in 2018. TeCHO+ is aimed at making progress across all dimensions of the comprehensive primary healthcare services. Objective: The objective of this study is to record the document rollout and early implementation experience of TeCHO+ programme in Gujarat. Methods: The present participatory process documentation exercise was undertaken in Gujarat. The various steps for process documentation were decided after participation in multiple task force meetings and state/district- and taluka-level action seminars and reviewing the TeCHO+ programme data and progress reports. The perceptions of the health officials and field staff were gathered using key informant interviews from five districts of Gujarat: Bharuch, Narmada, Gandhinagar, Mahisagar, and The Dangs. In addition, stakeholders involved with TeCHO+ Programme were interviewed to understand the process of rollout, implementation challenges, and success. Results: In the initial phase, the TeCHO+ application focussed only on updating the Family Health Survey to improve the quality of data captured in the system. FHWs log-in the mobile application daily to access their daily work plan for which SMS alerts were are also generated. Most FHWs were in their 50s and were first-time smartphone users. Although, they were enthusiastic and open to the new technology, initially they faced certain difficulties in operating the application. The programme had a strong troubleshooting mechanism in terms of the use of WhatsApp group, helpline numbers, and voice calls in addition to supportive supervision. Discussion: TeCHO+ showed the potential to enhance the quality of the collected data and also service coverage. However, poor technology literacy of old FHWs, the launch of multiple programme memes at the same time, and target-driven task assignments pose major challenges.http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2020;volume=9;issue=1;spage=340;epage=346;aulast=Sahagujaratmhealth interventionprocess documentationtecho+ programme |
| spellingShingle | Somen Saha Priya Kotwani Apurvakumar Pandya Chintan Patel Komal Shah Deepak Saxena Tapasvi Puwar Shrey Desai Dashrath M Patel A V Sethuraman Jayanti S Ravi Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care gujarat mhealth intervention process documentation techo+ programme |
| title | Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme |
| title_full | Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme |
| title_fullStr | Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme |
| title_full_unstemmed | Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme |
| title_short | Addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in Gujarat through mHealth intervention: Early implementation experience with TeCHO+ programme |
| title_sort | addressing comprehensive primary healthcare in gujarat through mhealth intervention early implementation experience with techo programme |
| topic | gujarat mhealth intervention process documentation techo+ programme |
| url | http://www.jfmpc.com/article.asp?issn=2249-4863;year=2020;volume=9;issue=1;spage=340;epage=346;aulast=Saha |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT somensaha addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT priyakotwani addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT apurvakumarpandya addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT chintanpatel addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT komalshah addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT deepaksaxena addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT tapasvipuwar addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT shreydesai addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT dashrathmpatel addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT avsethuraman addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme AT jayantisravi addressingcomprehensiveprimaryhealthcareingujaratthroughmhealthinterventionearlyimplementationexperiencewithtechoprogramme |