Understanding the client is important
Understanding the client is important
Data Work by Frontline Health Workers in Pregnancy Care
Project Overview
Exploratory design research study that focused on the data work done by three kinds of FHW, namely ASHA workers (AW), Anganwadi workers (AWW) and Junior health assistant (JHA), who collaboratively form the foundation of community-based pregnancy care.
Research also opens up the future possibilities of designing advanced data-driven tools to support frontline health worker’s work.
Understanding the client is important
Understanding the client and their work is first and essential step in research. Secondary research, through reading research papers, government polies for FHW's, exploring existing digital solutions for FHW's and data work around health care helped me to built ground for me futher research.
Research is incomplete without interacting with actual users
My field research and interacting with users started with visual interviews. I conducted three design research methods with each kind of FHW separately to avoid biases in their statements.
Visual interviews
Instead of only verbally asking questions during interviews, sketches and images related to research topic were used to overcome the language barrier, encourage discussions and understand the workflows of FHW.
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Evidence gap map
To know the gaps in the workflows and understand their data work role in- pregnancy care.
Storyboarding session
To understand the workflows of FHW to address women with complications.
Data analysis is the stepping stone towards finding patterns from the research
To derive insights from research and find the meaning from the interviews and research activities, analysis of data is a must. The data acquired from design research methods and journey maps of FHW were used to reflect on complexities and existing challenges in their everyday data work practices. I used the method of affinity analysis by manually writing each observation on post-its and found affinity patterns to formulate the themes. The findings emerged from the most relevant topics discussed across the research activities.
Deriving the Flow Digram of such a complex system and visualizing it was the most challenging but interesting part in the entire research
During the first round of interviews, the FHW's work mapped individually. During this process, I realized that there is a need to understand the flow, coordination, and communication among pregnant women, AW, and AWW is important. As a result of this flow diagram was developed. A Consolidated map is shown to AWW and AWW. Feedback was collected from them. Based on that flow diagram revealed three distinct traits about the flows and intersections of the system.
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First, the interdependencies between FHWs and pregnant women.
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Second, the flow diagram reveals whose work is influenced by whom.
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Third, Anganwadi center and Govt. Hospital/PHC are acting as data storage and decision space.
The traits in the flow diagram also lead to findings that were identified as gaps in the system.
Findings that reveal the important key elements in FHW'S work
Early findings showed that parts of the FHW’s work emerge from the complex context in which they work. FHW’s role involved a lot of formal and informal data work according to the service needs of the community. Research unfold challenges faced by FHW's such as ever-increasing workload, repetition of work, not recognizable work which are serious challenges that affect their work.
Take away from the research, can be summarised in the quote by Lucy Suchman, "IT is possible that if work aspects are visible there is a chance to increase the productivity"
The study gives a sense of FHW data work and allows them to think of the scope to improve their practices in the future with respective maternal health. Technological solutions may help to make their work visible to different actors in the system and also would reduce multiple data workloads. I tried to implement research further in my next phase of the project: ‘Smitha’ where I used a participatory method to build a technological tool for making the FHW daily work practices more efficient.
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Publication:
Research paper accepted under Student Design Consortium in the ‘INDIA HCI Conference 2019’, Hyderabad.
Towards Design
Journey Map
Why?
To understand both ASHA and Anganwadi workers feeling, thinking, doing, and pain points at each stage.
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Analysis and Synthesis
Why?
To identify patterns from research data.
​During the synthesis of data, it is organized according to their relation. All data is a cluster in the form of What is happening (Findings) - Why it is happing (insides) - How it can be handled (future scope)
Task profile matrix
Why?
To analyze and examine tasks performed by ASHA workers and Anganwadi workers build a task flow matrix. This also helped me to create a scenario in the next phase.
Task prioritization
Why
To prioritize the features in the design
User stories help to express a specific need that ASHA and Anganwadi worker has.
User Story 1
User Story 2
User Story 3
Task Flow and Information Architecture helps to Build the backbone of the design
Low Fidelity wireframe
Color Palette and App Icon
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Snehita - a friend in the Kannada language
logo color - the dress code of Anganwadi and ASHA worker
Explanation- the logo form letter ‘S’ and also it shows connection and communication with both color (i.e. with ASHA and Anganwadi worker). Space where both come together and provide health care service collaboratively.
High Fidelity Wireframe
Service Design
The final outcome is the service where ASHA and Anganwadi workers work collaboratively to provide a better career by using digital technology 'Snehita'. All data about Pregnant women will be streamlined at each level in health care - Personal level -community - service level
Collaboration:
Srishti Institute of art, design, and technology
University of Leicester, Loughborough University
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Study Setting:
Channapatna, Ramnagar district, Karnataka state in India.
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Duration:
Jan. 2019 to April 2019
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Role:
A Design Researcher and System Designer