User-centred iterative design to develop an evidence-based communication application for maternity care

A record number of immigrants, many Arabic speaking, arrived in Sweden during the years 2015/2016. Immigrant women have a higher risk of pregnancy complications than native European women and cultural and communicative problems have been identified as a cause of such disparities. Maternity services are under pressure because of language and cultural barriers. Language translation programmes are sometimes used but these are not evidence-based so are not considered safe for use in maternity care. The aim of this research was to create an evidence-based app for communication with Arabic-speaking women in maternity care. User-centred iterative design was used to develop an evidence-based, fit-for-purpose app. Data were collected from midwives in a focus group interview, field observations and workshops. The iterative approach resulted in an evidence-based prototype that is currently being tested in the field.