Digital solutions support
Sara's journey to care.
Here’s how.
Sara had sex. But not the feel-good kind. Rather, the unprotected kind.
Sara is worried.
What if she is infected with HIV? What if she is pregnant?
Sara has questions. She wants answers.
Sara sees an ad on her Facebook for a digital chatbot where she can find health information.
She clicks in.
Her digital health journey begins.
It wasn’t always this easy.
Before digital platforms, Sara had to jump through many hoops to get healthcare without her mother or aunties knowing.
Sara would travel to a faraway clinic to get care.
She’d save up a lot of money to get there.
Once at the clinic, she would wait and wait for the provider to see her.
And when the provider finally did see her, she’d feel icky about his judgmental comments. She’d trek home, unsettled by the experience.
Sara needs better.
The good news:
we’re on it.
Through PSI’s consumer-powered approach, we work with consumers, governments and partners to build demand, strengthen the health system and shift policies to better serve Sara.
By doing so, we support Saras everywhere to attain judgement-free and accessible healthcare—starting from the palm of their hands.
Together with partners, we’re working toward a vision where Sara’s journey through the health system is digitally enabled.
The digital chatbot is an example of how we support Sara, together.
The chatbot guides Sara to relevant health information regarding HIV, pregnancy tests and contraceptive options, and where she can access each.
The chatbot also provides her with information on where she can be seen and by whom.
Whether through community health workers, or at a pharmacy or private primary care facility, the choice is Sara’s.
The app might also shows her which providers offer youth-friendly health services, where national health insurance is accepted and the estimated wait time to see a provider per location.
Sara clicks on a nearby pharmacy where she feels she can discretely access care, and the chatbot tells her which relevant services and products are offered.
Sara now has the information and tools to make the best choice based on her own needs.
Once at the pharmacy, Sara feels comfortable and confident asking for an HIV self-test, pregnancy test, and her contraceptive choice, a self-injectable. The pharmacist explains how to use all three.
Sara feels good about her experience accessing care. And she knows she has multiple options next time she has health-related questions.
A week after her visit, the chatbot sends Sara a prompt to ask if her needs were met, and how she felt about her visit to the pharmacy.
She shares insights about her experience of care, which inform how we can better serve Sara now and in the future.
Consumer insights improve our understanding of health consumers’ behaviors, preferences and needs.
This is the data needed to help shape a stronger, more responsive health system that better serves and brings care closer to Sara.
If we make the health system more responsive to Sara’s needs, the journey to Universal Health Coverage will be shorter.
Sara needs us to work together to meet her where she is. Join the journey.