Abstract

Accredited social health activists (ASHA), auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), and Anganwadi workers are the community health workers (CHWs) who provide maternal and child healthcare services in India. The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) was launched to digitize the healthcare ecosystem and achieve universal health coverage. This initiative led to the distribution of smartphones and tablets to CHWs by the Uttar Pradesh government. The authors explored the utility and challenges faced by CHWs and their health beneficiaries while using mobile devices and apps in rural areas. In this exploratory research, the authors conducted twenty-four semistructured interviews with CHWs and six focus group discussions with sixty-two health beneficiaries across three districts (Gorakhpur, Bhadohi, and Aligarh) in Uttar Pradesh. The study found that mobile devices and apps have created opportunities to access a wide range of digital facilities, including online data feeding, learning via app-based platforms (YouTube), digital health information access, and convenient communication through apps (WhatsApp and Zoom). However, CHWs’ inadequate digital skills for online data entry have increased their workload and dependency. Numerous social and financial challenges impede health beneficiaries’ and CHWs’ access to digital devices and the internet. Healthcare facilities for rural communities can be improved by providing digital skill trainings to CHWs, equipping them with advanced digital devices, developing technology tailored to the local context and needs, and building digital infrastructure in rural areas. This research contributes to understanding the impact of NDHM in regions with limited digital skills and infrastructure.