Feasibility Study of a Web-Based Application in Enhancing Breastfeeding Promotion and Early Childhood Health in Primary Care Settings
Keywords:
Web-based application, Breastfeeding, Primary healthcare unit, Early childhood, Maternal and child healthAbstract
This study developed and evaluated a web-based application to support breastfeeding promotion and early childhood health care in a district within Health Region 5, Thailand. Following a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) framework, the project progressed through four phases: requirement analysis, design, testing, and evaluation. Requirement analysis included a survey of existing data system, assessments of budget feasibility, safety, applicability, data scope, and maintenance, stakeholder interviews. The design captured maternal and infant health data, home visit records, and developmental milestones Thailand’s Developmental Surveillance and Promotion Manual (DSPM). Testing occurred in a primary care settings in Song Phi Nong district, Suphan Buri Province, within Health Region 5. The same personnel participated in testing (May 2–6, 2022) and evaluation (June 1–30, 2022): 30 randomly selected primary health care providers from the 141 in the district. Evaluation of functionality, usability, and security used an 11-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale to assess user satisfaction. Results indicated that the application was successfully designed and tested, receiving positive feedback from providers, who found it more convenient than traditional paper-based recording during home visits and appreciated its ability to facilitate data transfer to the Ministry of Health's database.
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