Retha de la Harpe

Information Systems Practice for Development in Africa: Results from Indehela

In this paper we search for answers to the question: Can information systems development (ISD) in Africa by African IS practitioners contribute to human development in Africa? More specifically, we ask if everyday ISD practice in Nigeria can contribute to people’s health in Nigeria. We summarize the results of European-African research collaboration spanning more than 15 years. A spectrum of research methods was used from 1998 through 2001, including a survey on software industry (N = 103), a survey on IS education in universities (N = 26), five case studies in industry, and reflection on action in a university-based project. An industry profile of software companies and their ISD practice is presented and contrasted with the education available. Implications are drawn for ISD practitioners and methodological lessons identified for IS research in general. In the discussion, the view is expanded from Nigeria to other African and developing countries.

Participation for development

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is more and more promoted as a driver and facilitator of economic growth and development in low and middle income countries. ICT for Development (ICT4D) though has mixed successes. Sustainability of solutions and usability respectively usefulness for the intended beneficiaries have been reported as causes. Participatory approaches to development have been proposed to address these causes. Participatory Design (PD) seems like a perfect fit. However, at the Participatory Design Conferences, research that addresses PD in low and middle income countries is rare. The workshop aims at bringing together the PD researchers working with under-privileged communities and attracting researchers from the ICT4D communities to the PD conference. The goal is to share experiences and start a discussion on how participation, ICT and development might relate.

Lessons learnt from the participatory design of a mobile care data application in a resource-restricted context

This case describes the participatory process of developing a mobile solution for care givers in a resource-restricted context. The experiences of the designers and developers during this process are shared. mHealth solutions are not yet widely adopted for care giving services and the lessons learnt could be valuable to others designing similar solutions. The literacy level of the care givers as end-users was an important consideration for selecting the right methods to involve them in the design of the solution. It was a challenge to design the solution for the kind of mobile phones used by the care givers in these poorer communities since these phones have limited functionality. The design of the mobile solution as well as the process to involve the end-users were therefore influenced by the constraints of the context of use.

Design probes and toolkits for healthcare: Identifying information needs in African communities through service design

Abstract Design practice as a problem solving strategy explores ways of addressing challenges in organisations, communities, healthcare and many more. The process is usually human-centered, but in certain contexts, it is devoid of user inputs. The process starts with exploring a context and identifying the problem. We propose a service design approach that uses visual strategies of probing to empathise, among others, with users to find ideas that could be used to solve problems. In this study, the authors explore a co-design process developed to gain insights into healthcare, and access information needs of mothers in South Africa and Ghana. During these design processes, probes and toolkits were used to emphatically respond to the contexts and needs of participants. Through this process, health information needs and sources of participants were identified. The authors infer that probes are viable research tools to gain better understanding, when designing with users in African communities.

Accessibility to Patients' Own Health Information: A Case in Rural Eastern Cape, South Africa

Access to healthcare is regarded as a basic and essential human right. It is generally acknowledged that Information and Communication Technology solutions have potential to improve access to healthcare, reduce healthcare cost, reduce medical errors, and bridge the digital divide between rural and urban healthcare centres. The access to personal healthcare records is however, an astounding challenge for both patients and healthcare professionals alike, particularly within resource-restricted environments, such as rural communities. Most rural healthcare institutions have limited or non-existent access to electronic patient healthcare records. This paper explored the accessibility of personal healthcare records by patients and healthcare professionals within a rural community hospital in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A case study was conducted, where semi-structured interviews, observations, and interactive co-design sessions and focus groups were employed as the primary data collection methods in this study. The data was qualitatively interpreted using thematic analysis approach. A number of recommendations for improved access to personal healthcare records are discussed.

The Comprehension of Medical Words

This paper presents cross-lingual experiments in automatic detection of medical words that may be difficult to understand by patients. The study relies on Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods, conducted in three steps, across two languages, French and Xhosa: (1) the French data are processed by NLP methods and tools to reproduce the manual categorization of words as understandable or not; (2) the Xhosa data are clustered with a non-supervised algorithm; (3) an analysis of the Xhosa results and their comparison with the results observed on the French data is performed. Some similarities between the two languages are observed.

Mobile Application Design for Health Intermediaries

Health intermediaries in emerging contexts exhibit a diversity of information needs in conducting their professional duties. There is limited understanding, however, as to the complex needs of these groups. Furthermore, there is still a paucity of research on supporting the information needs of intermediaries via technological means. This paper employs a qualitative meta-analysis in unpacking the dynamism of intermediary practice in South Africa. The authors consider mobile application design in accessing and using health information. A number of critical design considerations are presented, including the role of context as a static and dynamic modality. The authors ultimately derive an information model, which assimilates four intersecting dimensions of context.