Value Co-creation in Design of mHealth Applications for Maternal Healthcare Service Delivery

Abstract

mHealth has potential to improve maternal healthcare in low resource contexts. Several mHealth applications have been developed but are not implemented nor can they be scaled up partly due to their methodological quality. Although mHealth applications have been designed to improve maternal healthcare service delivery, it is still unclear on how to design mHealth applications for maternal healthcare that drive value co-creation from a service dominant logic (SDL) perspective. In this paper, a case study approach is used to investigate designs of four mHealth applications from Uganda and Cameroon. Interviews were held with developers and health workers involved in the design process of the applications. Results were analyzed using SDL value co-creation model. Overall findings show that designs of existing mHealth applications for maternal healthcare include some aspects of value co-creation but still lack design guidelines that would better support value co-creation. Guidelines for designing mHealth applications that co-create value in maternal healthcare are proposed. Future investigations on how proposed guidelines influence the use of mHealth applications to trigger value co-creation in maternal healthcare are suggested.