’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India
Introduction Mobile Academy is a mobile-based training course for India’s accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health workers (CHW). The course, which ASHAs access by dialling a number from their phones, totals 4 hours of audio content. It consists of 11 chapters, each with their own q...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2022-06-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e050363.full |
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| author | Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre Kerry Scott Sara Chamberlain Osama Ummer Manjula Sharma Dipanwita Gharai Bibha Mishra Namrata Choudhury |
| author_facet | Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre Kerry Scott Sara Chamberlain Osama Ummer Manjula Sharma Dipanwita Gharai Bibha Mishra Namrata Choudhury |
| author_sort | Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Mobile Academy is a mobile-based training course for India’s accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health workers (CHW). The course, which ASHAs access by dialling a number from their phones, totals 4 hours of audio content. It consists of 11 chapters, each with their own quiz, and provides a cumulative pass or fail score at the end. This qualitative study of Mobile Academy explores how the programme was accessed and experienced by CHWs, and how they perceive it to have influenced their work.Methods We conducted in-depth interviews (n=25) and focus group discussions (n=5) with ASHAs and other health system actors. Open-ended questions explored ASHA perspectives on Mobile Academy, the course’s perceived influence on ASHAs and preferences for future training programmes. After applying a priori codes to the transcripts, we identified emergent themes and grouped them according to our CHW mLearning framework.Results ASHAs reported enjoying Mobile Academy, specifically praising its friendly tone and the ability to repeat content. They, and higher level health systems actors, conceived it to primarily be a test not a training. ASHAs reported that they found the quizzes easy but generally did not consider the course overly simplistic. ASHAs considered Mobile Academy’s content to be a useful knowledge refresher but said its primary benefit was in modelling a positive communications approach, which inspired them to adopt a kinder, more ‘loving’ communication style when speaking to beneficiaries. ASHAs and health system actors wanted follow-on mLearning courses that would continue to compliment but not replace face-to-face training.Conclusion This mLearning programme for CHWs in India was well received by ASHAs across a wide range of education levels and experience. Dial-in audio training has the potential to reinforce topical knowledge and showcase positive ways to communicate. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-97f71f2486ad49d0abaa0a4876252aeb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-97f71f2486ad49d0abaa0a4876252aeb2025-01-28T00:45:08ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-06-0112610.1136/bmjopen-2021-050363’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, IndiaAmnesty Elizabeth LeFevre0Kerry Scott1Sara Chamberlain2Osama Ummer3Manjula Sharma4Dipanwita Gharai5Bibha Mishra6Namrata Choudhury7International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USADepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USABBC Media Action, New Delhi, Delhi, India4 Oxford Policy Management, New Delhi, IndiaIndependent researcher, unaffiliated, New Delhi, IndiaOxford Policy Management, New Delhi, IndiaOxford Policy Management, New Delhi, IndiaCentre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, IndiaIntroduction Mobile Academy is a mobile-based training course for India’s accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health workers (CHW). The course, which ASHAs access by dialling a number from their phones, totals 4 hours of audio content. It consists of 11 chapters, each with their own quiz, and provides a cumulative pass or fail score at the end. This qualitative study of Mobile Academy explores how the programme was accessed and experienced by CHWs, and how they perceive it to have influenced their work.Methods We conducted in-depth interviews (n=25) and focus group discussions (n=5) with ASHAs and other health system actors. Open-ended questions explored ASHA perspectives on Mobile Academy, the course’s perceived influence on ASHAs and preferences for future training programmes. After applying a priori codes to the transcripts, we identified emergent themes and grouped them according to our CHW mLearning framework.Results ASHAs reported enjoying Mobile Academy, specifically praising its friendly tone and the ability to repeat content. They, and higher level health systems actors, conceived it to primarily be a test not a training. ASHAs reported that they found the quizzes easy but generally did not consider the course overly simplistic. ASHAs considered Mobile Academy’s content to be a useful knowledge refresher but said its primary benefit was in modelling a positive communications approach, which inspired them to adopt a kinder, more ‘loving’ communication style when speaking to beneficiaries. ASHAs and health system actors wanted follow-on mLearning courses that would continue to compliment but not replace face-to-face training.Conclusion This mLearning programme for CHWs in India was well received by ASHAs across a wide range of education levels and experience. Dial-in audio training has the potential to reinforce topical knowledge and showcase positive ways to communicate.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e050363.full |
| spellingShingle | Amnesty Elizabeth LeFevre Kerry Scott Sara Chamberlain Osama Ummer Manjula Sharma Dipanwita Gharai Bibha Mishra Namrata Choudhury ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India BMJ Open |
| title | ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India |
| title_full | ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India |
| title_fullStr | ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India |
| title_short | ’[We] learned how to speak with love’: a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist (ASHA) community health worker experiences of the Mobile Academy refresher training in Rajasthan, India |
| title_sort | we learned how to speak with love a qualitative exploration of accredited social health activist asha community health worker experiences of the mobile academy refresher training in rajasthan india |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/6/e050363.full |
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