Development of a Mobile Health Application Based on a Mixed Prenatal Care in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Digital health
• Maternal healthcare
• Public health during pandemics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated innovative approaches to healthcare delivery, including prenatal care.
• Traditional prenatal care models faced challenges in accessibility and continuity during the pandemic.
• Mobile health (mHealth) applications offer a potential solution for remote patient monitoring and information dissemination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and describe a novel mobile application for a mixed model of prenatal care.
• To assess the acceptability of this mobile application among a cohort of pregnant patients.
• To enhance patient information and engagement in prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Development of a comprehensive, computer-based clinical record system.
• Creation of a novel mobile application using Flutter Software (version 2.2) for Android and iOS.
• A cross-sectional study design was employed to evaluate patient acceptability of the mobile app.

Main Results:

• The mobile app features real-time connectivity with clinical records and provides gestational age-specific information.
• Content includes a downloadable maternity book and screens detailing warning signs and symptoms of pregnancy.
• Patient acceptability was high, with 50 participants rating the app's characteristics positively.

Conclusions:

• A novel mobile application was successfully developed to augment prenatal care within a mixed model during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The app was customized to local protocols and user needs, enhancing information accessibility for pregnant patients.
• The mobile application demonstrated high patient acceptance, indicating its potential as a valuable tool in maternal healthcare.