The Co-creation of Strategies and Interventions to Improve Mobile-linked POC Diagnostics User Experience in South Africa: Nominal Group Technique

Abstract Background User experiences play a vital role in the development and sustainable implementation of mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostic technologies. The nominal group technique provides a platform for engaging key stakeholders to develop strategies for the successful implementation of m-linked POC diagnostic technologies in community healthcare settings from a user perspective, who then provide insights from a social, economic, technological, and medical perspective for the co-creation of strategies to improve the uptake of such technologies, especially in disease-burdened and resource-limited settings such as South Africa. Methodology: The nominal group technique was employed to collaborate with key stakeholders who attended the REASSURED Diagnostics Symposium workshop which was conducted in two consecutive phases: phase one was focused on determining the potential barriers that exist, and phase two was aimed at determining the potential strategies to alleviate the barriers identified in Phase One. Responses were collected using google forms and thematically analyzed. The themes were ranked using a Likert scale from 1–7, with one representing a very low priority and seven representing the highest priority. Results Psychological issues, turnaround time, and connectivity issues were prioritized as challenges that may affect user experiences of implemented mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostic technologies. Health education and using technology that could function offline were prioritized potential strategies to overcome these challenges. Conclusions The NGT workshop resulted in the co-creation of strategies to overcome challenges that may affect user experiences of m-linked POC diagnostics in South African healthcare settings.