The George Institute for Global Health India and Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre are developing the tools as part of a three-year pilot funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research. At a workshop in Silchar, Accredited Social Health Activists, or ASHAs, described the practical challenges they face when counselling women and connecting them with care.
The participants reviewed 155 common questions about cervical cancer and screening, then voted on which ones arise most often in their communities. The exercise highlighted a gap between questions health workers hear in the field and issues experts may consider clinically important. Researchers say those responses will help shape the chatbot’s knowledge base around both medical information and the concerns people actually raise.
The project’s principal investigator, Anita Gadgil of The George Institute, said the technology should be designed with ASHAs and support their work without adding a new digital burden. The team says the platform’s language, content and functions will be guided by their experience explaining screening and answering questions in real time.
The workshop also surfaced differences in comfort with digital tools. Younger and middle-aged workers said they regularly use phones for reporting and information, while older participants described greater difficulty with digital tools and language but a willingness to learn. Participants called for voice interaction in local languages, simple wording and search that reflects how they naturally ask questions.
Their suggestions included short audio-visual lessons, frequently asked questions, reminders, quizzes and progress tracking. ASHAs also discussed using flipcharts to refresh knowledge and the range of tasks they perform, from counselling on pregnancy and childbirth to explaining test results and making referrals.