Simprints Technology

Community and user acceptance of face biometrics within a Digital Health Programme in India

Partner/Client
Simprints Technology

Sector
Operational Research on Community and User Acceptance of Biometric Technology

Location
Rajasthan

To ensure Covid-19 vaccines reach the most vulnerable, Simprints (a UK based technology company) had developed a biometric software to verify coverage of impact of vaccines.
The facial biometric technology of Simprints was incorporated into the Digital Health survey (DHS) App of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DMFHW) Rajasthan
The survey was conducted by Frontline Health Workers (ASHA Worker) who were asked to capture facial biometrics with due consent of the beneficiaries
However, ASHAs reported initial resistance from the community in facial biometric registration
At the same time, Khushi Baby (implementing partner) noticed hesitancy in the adoption and deployment of the technology among ASHAs.
The objective of the research done by 4th Wheel Social Impact was to understand behavioral determinants associated with community acceptance of biometric enrolment and user’s (ASHAs) acceptance of technology and use of the App.
The study was conducted in rural Rajasthan between October 2021- March 2022.

APPROACH

The study was based on two distinct methodologies: 1) Barrier Analysis and 2) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as guiding frameworks to gain insights into user (ASHA Worker) and community behavior.
While the study was based on the two methodologies, i.e., TAM and Barrier Analysis, the tools had to be adapted to suit contextual realities and scope of the study.
Four research tools were used for the study: 1) Doer (community members who consented to provide biometrics) and Non-Doer (community members who did not consent) Survey 2) User (ASHA) Survey 3) Focus Group Discussions 4) Key-Informant Interviews.
Qualitative methods of focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used to substantiate the findings from the main User and Doer/Non Doer Surveys.
The study was conducted with 151 ASHA workers, 168 community members and 11 ANMs and implementing partner members.

Analysis of the Doer/Non Doer data showed that one of the main reasons for non consent to facial biometrics was a lack of trust in the ASHAs which also perpetuated a ‘fear of misuse’ of data.
Disapproval of the wider community also emerged as a barrier to biometric enrolment- 43% Non Doers and 88% ASHAs mentioned that family members (especially head of households and elders) played a significant role in providing consent to facial biometrics.
The User Acceptance data revealed that while ASHAs perceived the App to be useful, 74% of them were unable to explain the benefits of the App to the community members.
In addition, data revealed that ASHAs faced initial challenges, such as 30% mentioned network connectivity, re-logging into the App, and using smartphones as barriers to successfully completing the survey.

The study findings suggested that the depth of understanding the relevance of biometrics as opposed to being photographed (which instills fear and mistrust) needs to be reiterated among program staff, frontline workers and community members.
The deployment of the App should be accompanied by community sensitization materials and activities that focus on promoting registrations.
Frontline workers should be accompanied by either program staff or Auxiliary Nurse and Midwifery (ANMs) staff initially to explain the benefits of biometrics and improve the buy-in for biometric enrolment to community members.
Further training of frontline workers is essential to equip them with better communication skills to better explain the DHS process and use of smartphones and digital tools for improved delivery of surveys.