Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2025
05:35
Author Spotlight: Developing a Point-of-Care Hemoglobin Estimation Method for Anemia Management
Published on: January 19, 2024
863
Early Labour App: Developing a practice-based mobile health application for digital early labour support.
Leonardo Horn Iwaya1, Anna Nordin2, Lothar Fritsch3
1Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Health, Science, and Technology, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|July 5, 2023
Summary
This study developed the Early Labour App, a mobile health tool to support expectant parents during early labor. The app, combined with midwife care, enhances preparation and reduces stress for childbirth.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- mHealth Applications
- maternal care
Background:
- Pregnant women in early labor often feel excluded from professional care.
- Partners face restrictions in participating during the birthing process.
- Expectant parents require better preparation for fear and stress during early labor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and identify requirements for a practice-based mobile health (mHealth) application for Digital Early Labour Support.
Main Methods:
- An expert group with a multidisciplinary team informed app development on evidence-based practices.
- The app was built using an agile development approach (Scrum) with continuous software engineering (CI/CD, DevOps).
- User and security tests were incorporated throughout the development process.
Main Results:
- Challenges included understanding user needs and translating early labor interventions into a digital solution.
- The Early Labour App was found to be easy to use, requiring minimal assistance.
- The app facilitated partner preparation and enhanced awareness, thoughts, and feelings about the birthing method.
Conclusions:
- The Early Labour App is a proposed mHealth application for early labor support.
- Preliminary tests indicate the app is mature and ready for use in a Randomized Control Trial.
- The combination of the app with blended care offers effective preparation for childbirth.
