Christoph Pimmer|Susan Mhango|Alfred Mzumara|Francis Mbvundula
Mobile instant messaging for rural community health workers: a case from Malawi
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland|Digital Promise|Digital Promise|Digital Promise
mobile instant messaging mim tools whatsapp transformed global communication practice field global health mim increasingly used little understood phenomenonit remains unclear mim used rural community health workers chws facilitators associated benefits constraints address gap whatsapp groups implemented researched rural setting malawithe multisite case study research triangulated interviews focus groups chws facilitators thematic qualitative analysis actual conversations whatsapp survey open questions quantitative analysis whatsapp conversations used supplementary triangulation sourcesthe use mim differentiated according instrumental eg mobilising health resources participatory purposes eg enactment emphatic ties identified benefits centred enhanced ease quality communication geographically distributed health workforce heightened connectedness professionally isolated health workforce alongside minor technical connectivity issues main challenge chws negotiate divergent expectations regarding social versus instrumental use spacedespite challenges constraints implementation whatsapp received positively chws found useful tool support distributed rural health work