Digital technology in health education? – opportunities for new mothers in Mexican public healthcare services

Abstract

The Mexican healthcare system deals with several challenges such as a high level of fragmentation, low investments by the state and remaining high out-of-pocket payments. The socioeconomic status of each family decides which access to healthcare is granted due to the form of health insurance provided. Health literacy rates depend highly on the educational level, correlate with health inequalities and influence health-related decisions such as breastfeeding strongly. This study presents first findings of problem-centered interviews (N=9) from a case-study in Guadalajara, Mexico. It shows a possible starting point to integrate the usage of digital devices in the Mexican public health sector to interact with new mothers who are hospitalized after having given birth. Findings suggest that the use of digital technology could help to raise the health literacy in the specific decision of breastfeeding.