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Understanding the workflows of ASHA, ANM and other roles in recording and managing patient data across rural India.

Understanding the workflows of ASHA, ANM and other roles in recording and managing patient data across rural India.

1.

OVERVIEW

India's frontline health workforce, ASHAs, ANMs, and supervising medical officers runs a complex chain of household visits, screenings, surveys, and incentive-based reporting. We were asked to understand how they actually work today, where existing digital tools support them, and where the gaps are.

India's frontline health workforce, ASHAs, ANMs, and supervising medical officers runs a complex chain of household visits, screenings, surveys, and incentive-based reporting. We were asked to understand how they actually work today, where existing digital tools support them, and where the gaps are.

India's frontline health workforce, ASHAs, ANMs, and supervising medical officers runs a complex chain of household visits, screenings, surveys, and incentive-based reporting. We were asked to understand how they actually work today, where existing digital tools support them, and where the gaps are.

Ease of doing business

UX Research

On-field study

Interviews

Discovery research

ROLE

UX Researcher

UX Designer

TEAM

1 PMs

3 Researchers

1 Designer

TIMELINE

Q3 2022 - Q4 2022

SCOPE

Clinical Path Primary Care in India Partnering with EODB(Ease of Doing Business in India)


4

STATES

Ahmedabad, Patna, Indore, Jaipur

22

PARTICIPANTS

22

PARTICIPANTS

8 ANMs, 5 ASHA, 5 Supervisors

7

DAYS in Field

August 2022

120

Min of Interview

Shadowing and Artefact auditing

2.

THE QUESTION

2.

Why did we need

a new ADMIN CONSOLE?

"Can ASHAs, ANMs, and other roles record, manage, and update patient data in an effective manner?

And what processes and digital aids are used today?"

"Can ASHAs, ANMs, and other roles record, manage, and update patient data in an effective manner?

And what processes and digital aids are used today?"

3.

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

3.

METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH

Each session was an in-context interview at the participant's place of work.

  • A Primary Health Centre, a Sub-Centre, or out in the field.

  • We shadowed them through real tasks, audited the registers and apps they actually used.

  • Also tested early concept screens at the end.

01

01

KNOW YOUR USER

  • Background

  • Role definitions

  • Daily realities

02

02

OBSERVATION

Shadowed real tasks at

  • PHCs and

  • Sub-Centres

03

03

PATIENT MANAGEMENT

End-to-end walk-throughs of

  • pregnancy

  • NCD

  • Immunisation flows

04

04

LIST AND DATA MANAGEMENT

How are these actually built?

  • Due-lists,

  • Registers and

  • Reports

05

05

CONCEPT FEEDBACK

Early EODB prototype screens validated in context

Sampled across roles (ANM, ASHA, Supervisor), experience levels (3–18 years), and four Hindi-speaking states with varying degrees of digital maturity.

4.

WHAT WE HEARD

4.

WHAT WE HEARD

ASHA - Gujarat

ASHA - Gujarat

"Sometimes we are asked for an old record, and we spend a lot of time searching them."

ASHA - Rajasthan

ASHA - Rajasthan

"I maintain several registers. ANC, immunisation, family planning, PCTCS, paediatric, survey register."

ANM - Indore

ANM - Indore

"Maintenance of records is hectic. Sometimes I fill data till 11 pm as I need to submit every month."

ANM - Indore

ANM - Indore

ANM Supervisor - Indore

"I visit 8 villages and 9 ASHA workers are under me.

I maintain a consolidated performance assessment record."

IN SCOPE (PHASE 1)

  • B2B known org, unknown user(Username/password)

  • Trial and Subscription entitlement types

  • Replaces registration ID + Activation code flow

  • Link + QR code distribution

  • Status tracking for both admin personas

OUT OF SCOPE (PHASE 2)

  • B2C, Guest and Anonymous users

  • Unknown org/trial to unknown org flows

  • Conference onboarding(Try before you buy subscription)

  • SAML/SSO

5.

WORKFLOW VARIES BY STATE

5.

WORKFLOW VARIES BY STATE

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

[Techo+ APP]

Has the most mature end-to-end stack.

Techo covers most functions.

Patna

Patna

Bihar - Manual process

Mostly paper, only incentives are digital.

6.

The artefacts that actually carry the data today

6.

The artefacts that actually carry the data today

Mamta Card

Paper card issued to every pregnant mother. Visit history, weight, and vitals. The only document the patient holds.

RCH Formal Register

12-section official register, 30–90 data points per section. Two-year shelf life.

NCD App

Standalone screening tool, still used in some areas. Mimics the physical forms.

ASHA PERSONAL ID

Issued government identity card, worn on duty.

Personal Diary

Every ASHA's own register. First point of recording. Predates and shadows every digital app.

ANMOL App

Used for ANM-level patient registration and reporting.

Anganwadi App

Used by Anganwadi supervisors for nutrition and child-health tracking.

Malaria Testing Kit

Physical medicine box and rapid-test kit for instant field results.

Mamta Card

Paper card issued to every pregnant mother. Visit history, weight, and vitals. The only document the patient holds.

Personal Diary

Every ASHA's own register. First point of recording. Predates and shadows every digital app.

RCH Formal Register

12-section official register, 30–90 data points per section. Two-year shelf life.

ANMOL App

Used for ANM-level patient registration and reporting.

NCD App

Standalone screening tool, still used in some areas. Mimics the physical forms.

Anganwadi App

Used by Anganwadi supervisors for nutrition and child-health tracking.

ASHA PERSONAL ID

Issued government identity card, worn on duty.

Malaria Testing Kit

Physical medicine box and rapid-test kit for instant field results.

7.

SUGGESTED ROADMAP

7.

SUGGESTED ROADMAP

Where the product needs to stand-out?

  • Digital healthcare in India is in a transformational period. many apps, many overlapping systems.

  • To stand out, the offering must be unique (AI-based screening flows, smart prompts).

  • Rollout strategy and training are extremely critical, and adoption hinges on them.

  • Data captured by ASHAs must be consumable by other roles upstream ANMs, supervisors, MOICs.

Thank You 😇