Barriers and benefits of mHealth for community health workers in integrated community case management of childhood diseases in Banda Parish, Kampala, Uganda a cross-sectional study

Authors: Winnifred K Kansiime, Edwinah Atusingwize, Rawlance Ndejjo, Emmanuel Balinda, Moses Ntanda, Richard K Mugambe, David Musoke

Low-quality data is a challenge for community health workers (CHWs) in low and middle-income countries. Mobile health (mHealth) applications can help by allowing CHWs to record and submit data electronically. This study explored the barriers and benefits of mHealth among CHWs in Banda parish, Kampala. Through interviews and focus groups with CHWs and officials, three main themes emerged: institutional and policy, community and interpersonal, and individual factors. Barriers included high training costs, CHW demotivation, infrastructure limitations, data security concerns, community awareness deficits, and skill deficiencies. Benefits included timely data submission, better data quality, geo-mapping, improved CHW performance monitoring, community health surveillance, cost-effective reporting, and empowering CHWs with technology. CHWs were enthusiastic about mHealth despite limited experience, seeing it as a way to improve access to health information and reporting efficiency. Successful implementation requires addressing CHW demotivation, ensuring reliable power and network connectivity, and enhancing digital data management skills. Overcoming these barriers can significantly enhance community healthcare delivery, making mHealth a promising tool for improving health outcomes in resource-constrained settings.