Lampang: Mae Tha primary care unit’s field data collection system works well; identifies demand for 3 new Micro-apps
Discussions with the Near-home Primary Care Unit (NPCU) at Mae Tha Hospital found that its field data collection system, using village health volunteers and Google Forms, is already well suited to the local context. The team also explored demand for Micro-apps for food calculations, comparing diabetes assessment results, and educational materials for areas with slow internet.
Translated from Thai · reviewed by the CF team
On 5 February B.E. 2568, ChangeFusion’s platform development team visited Lampang Province and held discussions with the Near-home Primary Care Unit (NPCU) at Mae Tha Hospital.
The hospital already has systems and mechanisms for field visits. Village health volunteers (VHVs) collect data and work with a team of academics, the NPCU’s doctor and pharmacists. Most of the system uses paper to collect field data, which is then digitised into Google Sheets through Google Forms. Overall, it works well and is suited to the local context.
The applications the unit is interested in include a food-calculation Micro-app—for example, showing what quantity of a particular food contains a given number of grams of protein—to help determine diets; a system that lets service users see their self-assessment results for their diabetes condition alongside the actual assessment results, so they can compare their perceptions with reality; and a Micro-app with educational materials about diabetes and self-care, focusing on content that is easy to access and understand and suitable for users with limited or slow internet access.