A formative evaluation of a mHealth program to improve management of childhood diarrheal disease among caregivers in Peru

background: With over 75% of mobile phone subscribers in the developing world, mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly recognized as a promising approach to tackling intractable global health challenges. mHealth can help overcome major barriers to health, especially among underserved populations. Specifically, mHealth interventions designed to enhance adherence to evidence-based care could be effective tools in improving maternal-child health outcomes. objective: To understand caregiver perceptions of mHealth to inform the design of a mHealth program to improve management of common childhood illnesses, such as diarrheal disease. methods: A purposive sample of 25 mothers of young children, selected from a larger cluster-randomized survey sample in Arequipa, Peru, completed elicitation interviews addressing: (1) using mobile phones to send/receive information about child health and (2) using oral rehydration therapy (ORT) to manage childhood diarrheal disease. All interviews were conducted in Spanish and NVivo10 software was employed to facilitate coding and analysis. results: Thematic analysis revealed strong interest in a program that enables two-way communication with healthcare providers. Participants felt it would provide valuable support and information and would help low-resource families overcome challenges in accessing healthcare. Caregivers also described difficulties in managing diarrheal disease in children and lack of knowledge of and experience using ORT. conclusions: This study demonstrates that mHealth interventions can meet the needs of vulnerable populations and have the potential to improve child health outcomes through offering novel approaches to educating and promoting provision of evidence-based care among caregivers. Results will guide the development of a mHealth program in this community.