ABOUT THE WORK
An app bringing healthcare home for children with HIV
The KidzAlive@Home app improves health outcomes for children and adolescents living with HIV. Created by Durban-based Zoë-Life, the app evolved from a prior award-winning digital solution, Talk Tool (2024 GLOMO award winner), which PlusNarrative also designed.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, we expanded the app to include KidzAdherence Stories, helping children and caregivers manage treatment at home when healthcare priorities shifted and community organisations provided direct household services.
CHALLENGE
Zoë-Life asked us to solve an important public health challenge, one driven by extensive insights and research. Medication adherence is crucial in the management of HIV and several factors make it difficult to ensure medication is taken correctly. High smartphone penetration in areas with limited resources has created an opportunity to reach people with HIV remotely, but medication adherence apps made specifically to engage with children living with HIV are limited.
The KidzAlive@Home app addresses medication adherence in children and adolescents, whilst being accessible on any device and without using a lot of data. Zoë-Life provided a list of app features to include. Parents or caregivers needed to select a language, create individual or multiple profiles for children, and to create reminders for children to take medication according to their ARV schedule.
SOLUTION
The KidzAlive@Home app includes a comprehensive medical monitoring system through ethical data accumulation, catering for rich input, encryption. This sensitive data is managed with extensive data security measures.
For the MVP, we designed age-appropriate prompts to remind children when to take their medication and surveys to track their emotional well-being and overall health. Caregivers can also set clinic appointment reminders and access a daily summary report of their child’s medication intake, mood, and health.
IMPACT
The KidzAlive@Home app tackles the crucial challenge of adherence among children and adolescents living with HIV. The app utilises a child-centred, psychosocial approach, leveraging technology to empower children to take control of their own health, and addresses the need for a bridge between the clinic and home.
The app highlights the significance of designing health interventions that are developmentally appropriate and based on evidence. It has lead to significantly improved adherence and health outcomes for children and adolescent users.
LINK TO WORK
CREDITS
Brand/Client: Zoë-Life
Product: Mobile App
Industry: Health
Product Link: KidzAlive
Digital Company: PlusNarrative
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