A surreal illustration of an ASHA worker using mHealth in a rural Indian village.

Can Mobile Health Boost Community Care? How mHealth Impacts ASHAs in Rural India

Lena Voss in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Explore how mobile health interventions are reshaping community healthcare in rural Gujarat, India, enhancing the skills and knowledge of frontline health workers."

India faces significant challenges in maternal and child health, accounting for a substantial portion of global maternal and child deaths. To combat these issues, the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was launched in 2005, with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) playing a crucial role in bridging the gap between healthcare services and rural communities.

ASHAs are community health workers trained to provide essential healthcare services, create health awareness, and mobilize communities for local health planning. They are equipped with basic medicines and act as a vital link in the healthcare delivery system. However, ongoing capacity building and refresher training are essential to ensure they can effectively perform their duties.

Recognizing the potential of mobile technology to overcome these challenges, a study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of an mHealth intervention. This intervention, known as ImTeCHO (Innovative Mobile Health Technology for Community Health Operations), aimed to improve the knowledge and skills of ASHAs in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) care.

How Does mHealth Improve ASHA Performance?

A surreal illustration of an ASHA worker using mHealth in a rural Indian village.

The ImTeCHO intervention involves providing ASHAs with mobile phones equipped with a custom application that includes health education videos, diagnostic algorithms, and training tools. The application helps ASHAs in several key areas:

The ImTeCHO app provides various features designed to support ASHAs in their daily tasks, ultimately aiming to improve their effectiveness in delivering essential healthcare services to rural communities.

Scheduling and Reminders: Automatic alerts via mobile phones help ASHAs schedule and remember visits to infants and mothers.
Task Management: Reminders ensure all essential tasks are performed during home visits.
Health Education: Inbuilt health education videos facilitate effective counseling and behavior change communication.
Diagnostic Support: Algorithms aid in diagnosing high-risk low birthweight (LBW) infants and creating treatment plans.
Knowledge Updates: Regular audio and video lectures update ASHAs on best practices.
Helpline Access: Access to the ImTeCHO helpline provides support for improving skills and knowledge on MNCH care.

The study revealed significant improvements in ASHAs' knowledge regarding pregnancy complications and newborn care. ASHAs in the intervention group demonstrated better skills in measuring newborn temperature compared to the control group.

Looking Ahead: The Future of mHealth in Community Care

The study underscores the potential benefits of mHealth interventions in enhancing the capabilities of ASHAs and improving healthcare delivery in rural India. By providing access to essential information, training, and support through mobile technology, ASHAs can more effectively address maternal and child health challenges in their communities. As mobile phone access continues to expand, mHealth strategies hold promise for overcoming implementation challenges and ensuring a well-trained health workforce at scale. Further research is needed to explore enhanced interventions, including text messages, free voice calls, and comprehensive call center support, to maximize the impact of mHealth on community healthcare.

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Everything You Need To Know

What is the role of ASHAs in the healthcare system in rural India?

Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are community health workers who are crucial in bridging the gap between healthcare services and rural communities in India. They are trained to provide essential healthcare services, create health awareness, and mobilize communities for local health planning. ASHAs are equipped with basic medicines and act as a vital link in the healthcare delivery system, particularly within the context of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Their ongoing capacity building and refresher training are essential to ensure they can effectively perform their duties, as highlighted by the ImTeCHO intervention.

How did the ImTeCHO intervention leverage mobile technology to improve ASHA's performance?

The ImTeCHO intervention provided ASHAs with mobile phones equipped with a custom application. This application included health education videos, diagnostic algorithms, and training tools. Specifically, the ImTeCHO app offered features like scheduling and reminders for visits, task management assistance, health education videos for counseling, diagnostic support for high-risk infants, knowledge updates via lectures, and access to a helpline. These features were designed to support ASHAs in their daily tasks, ultimately improving their effectiveness in delivering essential healthcare services related to maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) care.

What specific improvements were seen in ASHAs due to the ImTeCHO intervention?

The study assessing the ImTeCHO intervention revealed significant improvements in ASHAs' knowledge regarding pregnancy complications and newborn care. Specifically, the ASHAs in the intervention group demonstrated better skills in measuring newborn temperature compared to the control group. This indicates a tangible impact on their ability to provide effective healthcare services. The application features, such as diagnostic support and knowledge updates, contributed to these improvements, enabling them to better address maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) challenges.

In what ways does mobile health (mHealth) help to overcome challenges in rural healthcare?

mHealth interventions, like ImTeCHO, help overcome challenges in rural healthcare by providing ASHAs with access to essential information, training, and support through mobile technology. This includes features like scheduling and reminders, task management, health education videos, diagnostic support, and knowledge updates. By enhancing the skills and knowledge of frontline health workers, mHealth improves their ability to address maternal and child health challenges effectively. This approach helps bridge the gap in healthcare delivery and ensures that healthcare services reach the communities that need them most. As mobile phone access continues to expand, mHealth strategies hold promise for overcoming implementation challenges and ensuring a well-trained health workforce at scale.

What are some future directions for mHealth interventions to further support community healthcare?

Future mHealth interventions can be enhanced through strategies like incorporating text messages, free voice calls, and comprehensive call center support to maximize the impact of mHealth on community healthcare. Further research is needed to explore enhanced interventions. The goal is to provide ASHAs with more comprehensive support and resources to address maternal and child health challenges effectively. As mobile technology continues to advance, these improvements aim to make healthcare more accessible and effective in rural areas, ensuring a well-trained health workforce at scale.