GorbhoKotha: a mHealth App for Maternal Support in Bangladesh Utilizing User-Centered Design Principles

Sarah Binte Mahbub; Nafis Islam; Mehedi Hasan Surem; Ayatullah Arefin; Md Rashid Shabab; Ashraful Islam

doi:10.1109/hora61326.2024.10550569

Conference Paper2024Cited by 1

GorbhoKotha: a mHealth App for Maternal Support in Bangladesh Utilizing User-Centered Design Principles

Sarah Binte Mahbub, Nafis Islam, Mehedi Hasan Surem, Ayatullah Arefin, Md Rashid Shabab, Ashraful Islam

6th International Congress on Human-Computer Interaction, Optimization and Robotic Applications

IEEE, pp. 1-6

DOI: 10.1109/hora61326.2024.10550569 URL

Abstract

With the advancement of technology, there is a growing need for accessible and user-friendly smartphone mobile health (mHealth) apps that can provide antenatal and postpartum care guidance in Bangladesh. However, many existing solutions are not user-friendly and lack the feasibility of receiving care when needed, particularly for women knowing only Bangla. To address these challenges, this work proposes "GorbhoKotha", a mHealth app prototype that is designed to provide accurate and reliable information during pregnancy and infant care in Bangladesh. The app features include a chatbot capable of responding to users’ inquiries, along with carefully selected articles on maintaining good health during pregnancy and caring for newborns. The app also includes services like searching for nearby pharmacies and hospitals, recommending diet and exercise, and emergency dialing for any situation. To guarantee the usability and inclusivity of the "GorbhoKotha" app, we have included concepts of User-Centered Design (UCD) in our design process. Utilizing the UCD approach, we prioritize the needs and preferences of our users to create a solution that is both effective and accessible. A user study with target stakeholders highlights diverse demands among participants for a pregnancy-related system, emphasizing features including hospital locators, emergency chatbots, bilingual support, dietary guidance, and health management information.

Keywords

mHealthComputer scienceUser-centered designHuman–computer interaction

CCDS Authors

Ashraful Islam, PhD

Center Director, CCDS
Director, HCI Wing

Assistant Professor

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)

Research Interests

Human-Computer Interaction, AI for Social Good, AI for Public Health, AI for Impact

References

1.Rachel Harrison, Derek Flood, David Duce. (2013). Usability of mobile applications: literature review and rationale for a new usability model. Journal of Interaction Science, 1(1), 1[10.1186/2194-0827-1-1]
2.Andreea M. Oprescu, G. Miró Amarante, Lutgardo García‐Díaz, Luis M. Beltrán, Victoria E. Rey, María del Carmen Romero Ternero. (2020). Artificial Intelligence in Pregnancy: A Scoping Review. IEEE Access, 8, 181450–181484[10.1109/access.2020.3028333]
3.Heran Mane, Amara Channell Doig, Francia Ximena Marin Gutierrez, Michelle Jasczyński, Xiaohe Yue, Neha Srikanth, Sourabh Mane, Abby Sun, Rachel Ann Moats, Pragat Patel, Xin He, Jordan Lee Boyd-Graber, Elizabeth M. Aparicio, Quynh C. Nguyen. (2023). Practical Guidance for the Development of Rosie, a Health Education Question-and-Answer Chatbot for New Mothers. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 29(5), 663–670[10.1097/phh.0000000000001781]
4.Faruq Abdulla, Md. Moyazzem Hossain, Mohammed Nazmul Huq, Abdul Hai, Azizur Rahman, Russell Kabir, Farhana Jahan Peya, Sinigdha Islam, Hafiz T. A. Khan. (2023). Prevalence, determinants and consequences of problematic smartphone use among preschoolers (3–5 years) from Dhaka, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional investigation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 329, 413–427[10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.094]
5.Lucia Vaira, Mario A. Bochicchio, M Conte, Francesco Margiotta Casaluci, Antonio Melpignano. (2018). MamaBot. , 273–277[10.1145/3216122.3216173]
6.Atik Ahsan, Ananya Raihan. (2013). Understanding mHealth impact among Aponjon (MAMA Bangladesh) subscribers through a phone survey in Bangladesh. , 1–4[10.1145/2517899.2517920]
7.Shusmoy Kundu, Anusha Kabir, Muhammad Nazrul Islam. (2020). Evaluating Usability of Pregnancy Tracker Applications in Bangladesh: A Heuristic and Semiotic Evaluation. , 1–6[10.1109/r10-htc49770.2020.9357061]
8.Arief Munandar, Arief Setyanto, Suwanto Raharjo, Gunawan Wicahyono. (2019). Pregnancy Mapping and Monitoring Web Based Geographic’s Information System. , 12, 490–494[10.1109/icitisee48480.2019.9003916]
9.Wen‐Chen Hu, Naima Kaabouch, Hung‐Jen Yang, S. Hossein Mousavinezhad. (2012). Route Anomaly Detection Using a Linear Route Representation. Journal of Computer Networks and Communications, 2012, 1–12[10.1155/2012/675605]

Cited By

1.Sharifa Sultana, Hafsah Mahzabin Chowdhury, Zinnat Sultana, Nervo Verdezoto. (2025). 'Socheton': A Culturally Appropriate AI Tool to Support Reproductive Well-being. , 3098–3116[10.1145/3715336.3735725]

← All publications

Abstract

References

1.Rachel Harrison, Derek Flood, David Duce. (2013). Usability of mobile applications: literature review and rationale for a new usability model. Journal of Interaction Science, 1(1), 1[10.1186/2194-0827-1-1]

2.Andreea M. Oprescu, G. Miró Amarante, Lutgardo García‐Díaz, Luis M. Beltrán, Victoria E. Rey, María del Carmen Romero Ternero. (2020). Artificial Intelligence in Pregnancy: A Scoping Review. IEEE Access, 8, 181450–181484[10.1109/access.2020.3028333]

3.Heran Mane, Amara Channell Doig, Francia Ximena Marin Gutierrez, Michelle Jasczyński, Xiaohe Yue, Neha Srikanth, Sourabh Mane, Abby Sun, Rachel Ann Moats, Pragat Patel, Xin He, Jordan Lee Boyd-Graber, Elizabeth M. Aparicio, Quynh C. Nguyen. (2023). Practical Guidance for the Development of Rosie, a Health Education Question-and-Answer Chatbot for New Mothers. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 29(5), 663–670[10.1097/phh.0000000000001781]

4.Faruq Abdulla, Md. Moyazzem Hossain, Mohammed Nazmul Huq, Abdul Hai, Azizur Rahman, Russell Kabir, Farhana Jahan Peya, Sinigdha Islam, Hafiz T. A. Khan. (2023). Prevalence, determinants and consequences of problematic smartphone use among preschoolers (3–5 years) from Dhaka, Bangladesh: A cross-sectional investigation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 329, 413–427[10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.094]

5.Lucia Vaira, Mario A. Bochicchio, M Conte, Francesco Margiotta Casaluci, Antonio Melpignano. (2018). MamaBot. , 273–277[10.1145/3216122.3216173]

6.Atik Ahsan, Ananya Raihan. (2013). Understanding mHealth impact among Aponjon (MAMA Bangladesh) subscribers through a phone survey in Bangladesh. , 1–4[10.1145/2517899.2517920]

7.Shusmoy Kundu, Anusha Kabir, Muhammad Nazrul Islam. (2020). Evaluating Usability of Pregnancy Tracker Applications in Bangladesh: A Heuristic and Semiotic Evaluation. , 1–6[10.1109/r10-htc49770.2020.9357061]

8.Arief Munandar, Arief Setyanto, Suwanto Raharjo, Gunawan Wicahyono. (2019). Pregnancy Mapping and Monitoring Web Based Geographic’s Information System. , 12, 490–494[10.1109/icitisee48480.2019.9003916]

9.Wen‐Chen Hu, Naima Kaabouch, Hung‐Jen Yang, S. Hossein Mousavinezhad. (2012). Route Anomaly Detection Using a Linear Route Representation. Journal of Computer Networks and Communications, 2012, 1–12[10.1155/2012/675605]