January 13, 2013 | Read Time: 1 minute
Social Interest Solutions, a nonprofit technology group, has long offered an Internet tool that lets people determine their eligibility and apply for government benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Now the Oakland, Calif., group is testing a mobile version of the service—and documenting what it learns along the way.
During a six-week test, staff members at nonprofit health clinics used the mobile application on tablet computers to help patients apply for benefits.
One lesson: The application’s portability, which is one of its biggest strengths, allows employees to use it in places that lack computer workstations, like clinic waiting rooms. But it also raises questions about patient privacy and data security.
Social Interest Solutions has published a report detailing what it learned from the test.
