OUTREACH TABLETS FOR MOBILE SERVICE PROVIDERS
Peer educators, village health teams are part of a constellation of mobile outreach services that bring healthcare to communities at the last mile of healthcare.
SafeHands’ Outreach Tablets help service providers bring healthcare information to under-served communities in Uganda and Ethiopia. Service providers use our Outreach Tablets, a light-weight portable android tablet carried in a backpack, as they provide healthcare to under-served communities.
SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Ethiopia | 2013
OFFLINE FOR HARD-TO-REACH AREAS
Outreach services are designed to bring services to under-served communities, often in remote and low resource settings. Using an offline information system, our Outreach Tablets lets service providers screen health information and measure knowledge and understanding no matter where they go. Carried in a backpack, the tablets are entirely functional offline with a catalogue of digital content. Service providers can also complete surveys to capture monitoring and evaluation data. When service providers complete return to the nearest clinic, a single tablet connects to Wi-Fi to upload information collected on all the tablets using a bespoke peer-to-peer network. Specifically designed for low resource areas, this and other features conserve battery and data-use ensuring the tablets last longer.
DEVELOPED WITH AND FOR USERS
Using human-centred design, our Outreach Tablets were developed with and for service providers. The tablets are designed to complement service providers’ work - midwives, village health teams and peer educators as they provide services in hard-to-reach areas. A suite of digital content is aimed for service providers to use to increase knowledge and stimulate discussions with clients. Service providers helped select the best Outreach Tablet from four prototypes during a pilot and testing phase in 2020. 9 out of 10 outreach providers agreed that our tablets complemented their work, by stimulating conversations with their clients about key healthcare information. Their feedback helps identify key areas for continuous improvement.
SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Ethiopia | 2019
HOW TO USE AN OUTREACH TABLET
SafeHands | Fortunate Kagumaho | Uganda | 2021
COMMUNITY-CENTRED
Our Outreach Tablets include a catalogue of digital content specifically designed to provide healthcare information in underserved communities. Functionality is available in Amharic and English, with capabilities for other languages. Digital content is presented in the format of quizzes, animations, and film to stimulate discussions between service provider and clients. Health education messages are aimed to increase awareness and stimulate group and community discussion on key health topics.
SEAMLESS DATA COLLECTION
Quickly collecting reliable information during mobile outreach can help to generate greater understanding into a community’s needs. Our Outreach Tablets offer a suite of tools to collect field data collection offline and online. Service providers complete simple digital forms to collect key metrics. A range of automated data is also available including GPS location, use time and content screened. If collected offline, data is immediately shared with our server when connected to Wi-Fi. This allows us to analyse and manage data to inform decision-making and insights.
SafeHands | Fortunate Kagumaho | Uganda | 2020
Midwives use Outreach Tablets to provide antenatal care in rural Ethiopia
As part of our Labour at the Last Mile project, midwives use our Outreach Tablets to provide antenatal care in communities at the last mile of healthcare. Midwives in Amhara, Ethiopia screen a catalogue of digital content on safe motherhood, maternity waiting homes, newborn care and handwashing to raise awareness with pregnant women and their partners. Midwives also collect basic survey information to measure understanding and knowledge.
SafeHands | Nancy Durrell McKenna | Ethiopia | 2019
Digital safe motherhood information
“Tablets and films allow first-time mothers to learn from the real-life experiences of other women. They make our work more efficient and help us raise awareness,” says midwife Mastawale after her antenatal class in Amhara, Ethiopia. Mastawale regularly screens films on childbirth thanks to our durable Outreach Tablets. Our tablets support Mastawale to do what she does best: support women in pregnancy and birth.
Peer educators use our Outreach Tablets to provide SRHR information to young people in Uganda
As part of our Knowledge and Information on Safe Sex (KISS) project, peer educators use our Outreach Tablets to provide SRHR information during youth-focused outreaches conducted by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU). Peer educators use the tablets to facilitate small group information sharing and discussion with young people. Digital content is available on contraception, periods and HIV/STIs. Outreach Tablets were also used by peer educators to conduct a participatory survey of over 200 young people in Uganda, generating greater insight into young people’s SRHR knowledge and behaviour.
SafeHands | Paige Rogers | Uganda | 2020
Engaging SRHR information
“They are very user-friendly,” says peer educator Robert after an outreach session. Using our Outreach Tablets, Robert talks to groups of his peers about safe sex and contraception. Screening films and answering questions, Robert has seen that tablets change how people participate in the meetings. “These tablets help a lot because you can use them to show information first-hand.” Our tablets support peer educators like Robert do what he does best - engage young people with the information they need on safe sex.