April Community Meetup summarized notes.
Capturing GPS Data in CHT
GPS data is captured automatically in CHT reports, with every form edit storing an additional location entry. To enable geolocation capture, users must grant location permission to the Android app. If permission is denied twice, users are directed to device settings to manually enable it.
In addition to automatic capture, a number of projects use the map widget which is embedded directly into forms as a more deliberate and structured way of collecting geolocation data.
Analysis of GPS submissions.
A review of geolocation data across various CHT projects from multiple geographies revealed a GPS capture success rate ranging from 30% to 70%. The primary driver of failures was geo timeouts, with additional cases attributed to users not having granted location permission.
Other challenges shared by deployments included low GPS accuracy in remote and rural areas and instances where users turned off location services to conserve battery life.
Using GPS data to deliver responsive care.
Several projects are already leveraging geolocation insights to strengthen community health service delivery. Notable examples include the use of geospatial data to optimize health service delivery in Uganda and the Datharm team’s work using GPS data to deliver targeted routine immunisation services across three states in Nigeria.
Ongoing GPS tracking enhancements and route Optimization.
The CHT community is actively working on a set of GPS tracking enhancements, including storing geolocation data when submitting contact forms and GPS timeout fix. These improvements will lay the foundation for smart route optimization capabilities work that one of our community squads is currently driving forward.
Want to contribute to this work? Join us here every Wednesday at 1:00 pm GMT to learn more and get involved.