Oct 7, 2024

From FAQs to AI: The Evolution of Digital Pregnancy Support

Written by:

Sonia Rebecca Menezes

AI-powered chatbots are improving access to maternal health information in countries that have lower access to health services. These digital tools provide timely answers to pregnancy-related questions, helping expectant mothers get the information they need.

Jahnavi Meher, a Product Manager at IDinsight, spoke at a recent People+ai health meetup event. IDinsight is a group that uses data and research to solve important problems. This blog recaps her talk about their work with the MomConnect platform, deploying a chat solution called ‘Ask A Question’ in South Africa.

Pregnancy is a vital stage in a woman's life, and having access to the right healthcare information is essential for both mother and child. Unfortunately, many women in low-resource settings face challenges in getting the information they need.

To address these challenges, digital tools along with AI interventions are being developed. These solutions aim to provide pregnant women with timely, accurate, and accessible health information.

A mobile platform that connects women with health information 

South Africa's health department introduced MomConnect, a mobile health platform designed to support women through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Launched in 2014, the program has reached a significant milestone by providing essential information and resources to over 4 million women. This initiative has been instrumental in improving maternal and child health outcomes across the country.

MomConnect offers a range of services, including pregnancy-related information, childbirth preparation, and infant care guidance. By delivering this information directly to women's mobile phones, the program overcomes barriers such as geographical isolation and limited access to healthcare facilities.

While MomConnect has undoubtedly made a positive impact, it has also encountered challenges. One such issue was the difficulty in providing timely responses to the growing number of women seeking support and information.

Scaling the solution using ‘Ask A Question’

To tackle the growing demand for timely information, IDinsight developed the Ask a Question (AAQ) solution, an open-source, AI-powered chatbot plugin. Originally, before the rise of large language models (LLMs), AAQ was built to deliver instant responses from a well-curated FAQ repository.

If the system couldn’t find a satisfactory answer, it would escalate the query to a help desk operator. This setup was highly effective, with AAQ handling 64% of user queries instantly, significantly reducing the load on the help desk and speeding up response times for urgent issues.

With the advent of LLMs, AAQ has evolved to provide even more accurate and reliable answers in a user-friendly, chat-like manner. New features include an urgency detection module that flags medical emergencies, such as dizziness or breathing difficulties, and a monitoring dashboard that tracks user feedback and identifies trending topics.

The success of AAQ goes beyond MomConnect. Recognizing its broader potential, IDinsight designed AAQ to be a scalable solution for other non-profit organizations working in the social sector.

Here's what makes AAQ particularly appealing for nonprofits:

  • Real-time and reliable answers from a curated content base: AAQ uses AI/LLMs to generate answers from a content database. In addition to that, there are guardrails in place that ensure harmful or hallucinatory responses are not shared with the user.

  • High accessibility through natural language chat and voice support: AAQ understands natural language, allowing users to ask questions in their own words, rather than requiring them to navigate complex menus or keywords. The upcoming release will have voice support to improve accessibility. This user-friendly approach removes barriers for those with limited technical literacy.
    A differentiator for AAQ is the AI-powered chat analytics dashboard that assists program managers to analyze user feedback and get a better sense of what new content would be most useful to add for the communities they serve.

  • Low operational cost: While running LLMs at scale can be expensive, IDinsight has optimized AAQ to remain cost-effective for non-profit organizations. The algorithm is designed to default to sending search results — an algorithmically cheaper option — if relevant content isn't found in the database. This approach helps keep operational costs low, making AAQ an accessible solution even for organizations with limited budgets.

By the numbers: The impact of MomConnect

The MomConnect platform has seen impressive growth and impact since its inception. Here are some key statistics that highlight its reach and effectiveness:

  • Total users: MomConnect has reached over 4.8 million users. This massive user base underscores the platform's wide adoption and the critical role it plays in providing digital health services to pregnant women in South Africa.

  • Monthly active users: On average, 320k+ users engage with the platform each month through WhatsApp and SMS. This consistent engagement indicates the platform's relevance and utility in users' lives.

  • Helpdesk messages: The platform receives over 15,000 inbound helpdesk messages every month. This volume reflects the high demand for support and information among users.

  • Ask a Question (AAQ) messages: AAQ, the AI-driven query feature, handles more than 38,000 inbound messages each month. The high usage of AAQ highlights its effectiveness in providing instant, reliable answers to users' questions.

  • Clinic participation: A total of 2400+ clinics across South Africa have registered mothers on MomConnect. This widespread clinic involvement is crucial for the platform's success, ensuring that healthcare support is available at a local level.

  • Cost efficiency: The ongoing maintenance cost per user, excluding SMS costs, is less than a quarter of a dollar. This low cost demonstrates the platform's cost-effectiveness, making it a sustainable solution for the long term.

Key learnings from the implementation

Here’s what Jahnavi shared as the main learnings from their work on Ask A Question.

AI isn't a silver bullet: While large language models like GPT-4 are powerful, they aren't always necessary. For sensitive areas like healthcare, accuracy is paramount. The FAQ-based approach, combined with human oversight, has proven highly effective, achieving accuracy rates above 80%.

Accessibility is key: Getting people to use a new tool is more complex than just building it. We've learned that systemic support, including government backing and community outreach, is essential. It's about creating an ecosystem where the tool fits seamlessly into people's lives.

Humans and AI: A winning combination: AI can be a powerful tool, but it's not a replacement for human judgment. The system relies on a combination of AI-powered responses and human operators to handle complex or urgent queries. This hybrid approach ensures reliability and builds trust.

It's about the system, not just the chatbot. A successful digital health intervention requires a holistic approach. MomConnect is more than just a platform – it's a network of healthcare providers, government agencies, and community organizations working together. This ecosystem is crucial for long-term success.

Continuous monitoring and improvement are essential. Technology is constantly evolving, and so are user needs. We've found that regular testing, monitoring, and feedback are vital for refining our approach and ensuring the tool remains effective.

Next steps

While the MomConnect program, with the support of tools like AAQ, has shown promise, there are still hurdles to overcome.

One key challenge is maintaining user engagement. Ensuring that women consistently use the platform is crucial to maximizing its impact. Additionally, expanding the language options available on the platform is essential to reach a wider audience.

Programs like these represent a significant step forward in improving maternal healthcare in underserved countries. As technology continues to evolve, it's crucial to build upon these initial successes.

Further development and implementation of AI-driven solutions can help address persistent challenges in maternal health and ultimately improve outcomes for mothers and children.

Learn more about IDinsight’s intervention here.

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