Rizwana Biviji

Dr. Rizwana Biviji’s work spans across the spectrum of women’s health, with a particular focus on the prenatal and early postpartum periods. Her research addresses structural and systemic barriers to high-quality care for low-income and underserved populations by analyzing federal and state health policies, building workforce capacities, and evaluating digital health tools such as mHealth apps.

Health Policy & Advocacy

Dr. Biviji’s policy research translates evidence into legislative and systems-level change across state, national, and international contexts.

Medicaid Reimbursement for Lactation Services:
As Co-founder of the Arizona Maternal Health Policy Coalition, Dr. Biviji led a state-level analysis of Medicaid reimbursement policies for lactation consultants and other lactation care providers. The study’s findings directly informed the introduction of House Bills (HB) 2051 and 2072 during the 57th Arizona Legislature. HB 2051 expands AHCCCS reimbursement for outpatient lactation services, and HB 2072 establishes a voluntary state certification program for lactation care providers. Both bills have passed the Arizona House of Representatives and have advanced to the Senate for consideration.

Network Adequacy and Pediatric Vision Care Access:
Dr. Biviji led a statewide study evaluating geographic and insurance-based disparities in pediatric vision care access in Arizona. The findings informed school-based vision screening legislation, implemented in 2024. The law mandates vision screenings upon school entry and requires routine screenings for third- and seventh-grade students to improve early detection and reduce disparities in care.

International Women’s Health and Human Rights:
Dr. Biviji co-authored a United Nations shadow report addressing women’s health protections in Singapore. The submission was formally considered by the UN Human Rights Committee, with several recommendations incorporated into the Committee’s final concluding observations to Singapore.

Prevention of Prescription Drug Overdoses:
As a member of the Indiana Attorney General’s Prescription Drug Abuse Taskforce, Dr. Biviji conducted policy research identifying effective strategies to reduce overdose prevalence. The research directly informed the introduction and passage of Indiana Senate Bill (SB) 406, which strengthened first responder protections and expanded naloxone access to family members, friends, and other laypersons. The bill was signed into law on April 10, 2015. This work also resulted in a co-authored American Public Health Association (APHA) policy statement and a peer-reviewed publication examining systems-level change in Indiana.

Digital Health & Consumer Behavior

Dr. Biviji’s digital health research examines how mobile technologies shape consumer engagement, behavior change, and access to care during the prenatal, postpartum, and broader reproductive health periods.

Maternal and Infant mHealth App Utilization and Consumer Preferences:
Using publicly available mHealth app data, Dr. Biviji analyzed features associated with higher user ratings and downloads among maternal and infant health apps. She complemented this quantitative analysis with qualitative examination of user-generated app reviews to identify consumer preferences, perceived strengths, and unmet needs. This work provides insight into the features that drive engagement and sustained use of maternal health digital tools.

Behavior Change Techniques in Maternal and Infant Health Apps:
Dr. Biviji evaluated the content of popular maternal and infant health apps to assess the presence of evidence-based behavior change techniques using a validated mHealth app taxonomy framework. Her research examined whether popular apps incorporate strategies known to promote positive health behaviors, contributing to understanding the quality and theoretical grounding of digital maternal health interventions.

Data Privacy in Reproductive Health Apps:
More recently, Dr. Biviji has evaluated data privacy policies of popular reproductive health apps using the THESIS evaluation tool. This work assesses transparency, user data protections, and ethical considerations in digital health platforms, particularly in the context of sensitive reproductive health information.