Towards Human Activity-Based Interactive Communication Systems’ Design in Higher Learning Institutions: Study Conducted in Tanzania Higher Learning Institutions

The power of human computer interaction in interactive systems’ design processes is unimaginable as it determines their usability. However, these design processes encounter several challenges which make most of the designed interactive systems, notably in higher learning institutions fail to suitably satisfy targeted users’ needs despite the fact that they are normally designed based on their requirements. This study begins by exploring the challenges facing main communication and interaction means used in Tanzania higher learning institutions. The study then provides a review of challenges related to key research areas associated with interactive systems’ design. Based on the reviewed challenges, authors combined design science research with activity theory to come up with suited techniques through which user-involved interactive communication frameworks needed for suitable design of human activity-based interactive communication systems’ can be obtained. Based on that approach, authors came up with a suited four phase Design Science Research methodology to be used in designing of applicable frameworks. In its first phase and following a crucial user-centred design process, authors were able to come up with a Human-Activity Design Centred Framework for capturing most of the users’ needs in the design process through activities performed as well as a Human Factors’ Approach to interactive communication systems design in HLIs’

FEeSU - A Framework for Evaluating eHealth Systems Usability: A Case of Tanzania Health Facilities

Adopting eHealth systems in the health sector has changed the means of providing health services and increased the quality of service in many countries. The usability of these systems needs to be evaluated from time to time to reduce or completely avoid the possibility of jeopardizing the patients’ data, medication errors, etc. However, the existing frameworks are not country context sensitive since they are designed with the mindset of practices in developed countries. Such developed countries’ contexts have different cultures, resource settings, and levels of computer literacy compared to developing countries such as Tanzania. This paper presents the framework for evaluating eHealth system usability (FEeSU) that is designed with a focus on developing country contexts and tested in Tanzania. Healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technologists, and pharmacists, were the main participants in this research to acquire practice-oriented requirements based on their experience, best practices, and healthcare norms. The framework comprises six steps to be followed in the evaluation process. These steps are associated with important components, including usability metrics, stakeholders, usability evaluation methods, and contextual issues necessary for usability evaluation. The proposed usability evaluation framework could be used as guidelines by different e-health system stakeholders when preparing, designing, and performing the evaluation of the usability of a system. Keywords: Usability metrics, Usability evaluation Contextual issues eHealth systems Framework for usability evaluation FEeSU. DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/10-1-01 Publication date:September 30th 202

Challenges and approaches to the integration of HIS : case studies from Tanzania

This research falls under the area of design and implementation of information systems in developing countries. I have studied the health information systems in Tanzania using case studies in Ilala Municipal, situated in Dar es Salaam city, and Tabora Municipal in the Tabora region. The purpose of the research was to study the challenges encountered by the health workers at the local level with regard to information collection, use and reporting. The focus of this thesis is on problems of fragmentation and challenges of integration. These have been studied both with regard to the routine health information system (MTUHA) in general, and specifically for the programme for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS (called PMTCT), which is relatively new and was supposed to become fully integrated with the ordinary health service structures. The research had been carried out as part of the Health Information Systems Programme (HISP) initiative, an international research and development project based in the Informatics department of the University of Oslo. The empirical fieldwork was conducted between 1st of July 2004 and 18th of January 2005. The study employed qualitative research methods, including; ethnographic interviews, participation in workshops, document analysis in the health facilities, and hands-on experience with existing computer systems in the district. The empirical data were analysed using the principles of qualitative research, and the analysis was informed by my theoretical framework. My theoretical framework is based on a literature review that covers research from various fields, including literature on health information systems (HIS) in developing countries, research on information infrastructures and on integration of information systems. I argue that rather than seen as information systems, HIS should be conceptualised as larger systems consisting of human and non-human components, where the design of new information system is done by gradually extending the existing HIS, rather than from scratch. Developing an information system involves not only a technical solution but also social considerations, and a socio-technical approach is, therefore, appropriate. I draw upon the metaphor of installed base cultivation, and the emphasis on incremental and bottom-up approaches that this perspective entails. The findings indicated that the HIS performance is hindered by the fragmentation within and across the HIS. Fragmentation creates duplication of work and data, lack of information sharing, and poor quality of information, poor use of information and hindering of health care service provision. As an organising framework to describe the findings, I categorise them into four dimensions: fragmentation problems related to software, to data, to work practices and to institutional factors. At the system’s level, the problems are inflexible code, poor performance of the computerised system, and different software between programmes. At the level of specific data items, I identify a serious problem related to identification of clients to the PMTCT programme, with consequences for follow-up. The information integration with the rest of the MCH health care services was weak. In terms of work practices, the study revealed problems related to information sharing between PMTCT staff and other staff. At the institutional level, the problems of patients (or clients) attending several and different clinics is a challenge. The causes for the fragmentation problems include low priority for HIS work, information flow reflecting higher needs, and lack of participation in system development. However, the study also revealed some instances of emergence of local improvised tools designed by health workers at the facility level, which was also being spread horizontally and used by other facilities. These tools can resolve (at least partly) the dilemmas of integration, and they address the immediate information needs of the workers. Based on these findings and on insight gained from theory, I end by proposing some cultivation strategies for dealing with the challenges identified in the research. Bottom-up standardisation and “loose” integration are central aspects here

Gendering Design of M-Health Applications to Support Marginalized Women: A Case of Maternal and Child Health Services in Tanzania

This study aimed at addressing a gap in the existing literature by providing empirical insights into gendered ICT design in rural African settings. The research used qualitative research methods to identify design weaknesses that were causing the exclusion of the poorest and most rural women. The research design enrolled rural women to inform the redesign of the Tanzanian mHealth application, the DHIS Tracker. The app is designed to enable economically disadvantaged rural women to receive targeted healthcare appointments and advice via SMS text messages. Gendered design is used as a conceptual framework to guide the analysis. Also, we use insights from Buskens (2015)’s categories of strategies for empowering women; conformist, reformist and transformist to inform how gendered design can be done in the rural African context. The article ends by providing insights to policy and managerial levels that can be used to promote women empowerment

Developing an Intelligent PostGIS Database to Support Accessibility Tools for Urban Pedestrians

People with mobility impairment must travel through cities with extra care. An intelligent database of Maps for Easy Paths (MEP) project for storing and retrieving accessibility information about a particular path by using PostGIS may enable the public to enjoy the privilege of the technology that alleviates the problem of city accessibility through the Web or, more recently, through smartphones/tablet applications. The methods and techniques for intelligent database to storeand retrieve accessibility information by using a relational intelligent PostGIS database are described. The conceptual data model is designed for an intelligent database (PostGIS). Users will be able to actively participate in the process of taking pictures of obstacles, uploading them to the MEP server and giving some comments on the attributes of the picture of the barrier. The resulting data will help others to locate and evaluate paths. This paper presents the conceptual data model design as well as a review of features of the data of the existing systems. Therefore, the novelty of this approach lies in developing an intelligent database for the enrichment of geographical maps with information about the accessibility of urban pedestrian areas for people with mobility problems