Mobile-Health Tool Use and Community Health Worker Performance in the Kenyan Context: A Comparison of Task-Technology Fit Perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to contribute to closing an apparent gap in evidence of factors that contribute to the use of mHealth tools and performance of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the Kenyan context. This is achieved by (i) identifying a relevant set of dimensions along which to evaluate healthcare service task and technology characteristics (ii) identifying a relevant set of dimensions along which to evaluate mHealth tool use (iii) and using these dimensions to conceptualize Task-Technology Fit (TTF) perspectives i.e., covariation, mediation, matching and moderation as four distinct models through which mHealth tool use and CHW performance can be explained. This research is based on the premise that the effect of the fit between the healthcare service task and the mHealth tool can influence use and user performance in four different ways i.e., as the coalignment between them (covariation), a perceived intervening variable (mediation), their match as corresponding pairs (matching), or the interactions between these task and tool components (moderation). Findings of the study will provide robust evidence of the contribution of mHealth tool use to CHW performance, particularly in a developing world context.