A mobile learning intervention for community health workers 2013-2015

The mCHW project - a mobile learning intervention for community health workers (CHWs) – represents an ongoing research collaboration between the Institute of Education, University of London (IoE), the University of Oxford and Amref Health Africa to advance the training and supervision of community health volunteers in Kenya, seeking improved access to primary health care for the marginalised communities of Makueni County and the Kibera informal settlement.

Project researchers have worked closely with community members who provide basic medical services, called Community Health Workers (CHWs), and their supervisors, to collaboratively design, develop implement and evaluate a mobile learning intervention that better connects CHWs and supervisors.
<p>This project, a collaboration between the University of Oxford, the London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University of London (IoE) and the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) aimed to advance the training and supervision of community health workers (CHWs) in Kenya, resulting in improved access to primary health care for the marginalised communities of Makueni County and the Kibera informal settlement. This is important because supporting poor communities in gaining access to health care by training CHWs and connecting them to the local health system can help reduce poverty.

CHWs are community members who provide basic medical services. Research consistently evidences their pivotal role in providing equitable health access in support of poverty alleviation by preventing and diagnosing diseases like malaria and HIV, treating minor ailments, referring patients and providing support and care for pregnant women and babies.

This project worked closely with CHWs and their supervisors to collaboratively design, develop implement and evaluate a mobile learning intervention that better connects CHWs and supervisors. The innovative nature of this intervention meant that for the first time CHWs will have a mobile portfolio of their practice, easily accessible reference material on their phone and the ability to share practice related questions and resources with their colleagues through activities which promote peer learning and reflection. Though the use of the mobile intervention, the project aimed to better inform supervisors of CHWs’ training needs and to provide AMREF with a better insight into the nature and frequency of their two-way interaction as well as the specifics of on-the-ground support structures needed for intervention implementation.

The improved mobile-based supervision and training aimed to link CHWs more closely to the local primary healthcare system so as they can be more effective in reducing poverty through improving the access of local communities to health care.

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