Experiences with bulk SMS for health financing in Uganda

Authors:
Melissa Densmore
Affiliations:
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
Venue:
CHI '12 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2012

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Abstract

Short message service (SMS, aka text messaging) is a low-cost and effective means of communication for organizations attempting to maintain contact with many people. In this paper we look at the deployment and of a bulk mobile text-messaging platform (Bulk SMS), conceived and commissioned by a health non-governmental organization (NGO) for use in communicating with the 100+ private health facilities. We show how the platform emerged from existing practices, the features and expectations of the system, and the ways in which it was used. Common failure points include infrastructural limitations, human error, and unexpected use cases. We find that 1) the use of SMS as a media enables new types of communication, and 2) SMS alone is not sufficient for maintaining relationships within the NGO program.