This study presents a case for using participatory approaches in the design and development of ICT-based systems to incorporate the complexities embedded in the Indian public health sector and bring desired changes, especially in programme implementation processes. This action research project involved studying health facilities in Kolar district of the southern Indian state of Karnataka and working closely with prospective users and other relevant stakeholders. Multiple visits were made to the district hospital at Kolar to better understand how the ICT implementations under this project were received at a larger scale. The inputs and participation of data entry operators at different levels helped get a better sense of the reporting system. Interactions with health workers and medical professionals responsible for administering the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) provided useful insights in designing and developing an automated reporting system for use initially in a community health centre (CHC). The initial stages of the project involved automating some of the spreadsheet functions to remove manual effort and reduce data redundancy. This project progressed to creating a web portal for NPCDCS. A continuous involvement has helped in enlisting a high degree of participation which allows for co-creation of more improved variants of the ICT-based reporting system. This study was undertaken with the support of Center for Public Health (CPH) at NIMHANS.
Publication:
Priyanka Ivatury, Angel Jeena, Amit Prakash. Relevance of Participatory Approaches in Creating ICT Systems for Public Health Programmes. 10th International Conference on Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV 2017), New Delhi, March 2017 (Best Paper nomination)