Evaluating the Picterus Jaundice Pro App for Neonatal Jaundice Screening by Parents: Prospective Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Mobile health applications
• Neonatal care
• Public health

Background:

• Neonatal jaundice is common, but severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (SNH) risk requires accurate screening.
• Visual inspection is unreliable for identifying neonates needing total serum bilirubin testing.
• Picterus Jaundice Pro (JP) is a mobile health app for SNH screening, but parental user experience is underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the usability and user-friendliness of the Picterus Jaundice Pro app when used by parents.
• To explore parental experiences with a mobile health tool for neonatal jaundice screening.

Main Methods:

• Prospective mixed methods study in Dutch and Israeli maternity settings (August 2023-January 2025).
• 123 parents of near-term infants (≥35 weeks gestation) used Picterus JP and completed the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire.
• Semistructured interviews and focus groups with parents and nurses provided qualitative data.

Main Results:

• Parents reported a median usability score of 6/7, with 87.7% willing to use Picterus JP at home.
• App usability was rated as easy, quick, and convenient, though 55.8% experienced initial failures.
• Key themes for usability included intention to use, infant well-being, and instruction clarity.

Conclusions:

• Parents rated Picterus JP highly for usability, indicating potential for home screening of SNH.
• Technical improvements and enhanced guidance are recommended for optimal parental use.
• Both parents and nurses expressed positive views on the app's potential for home-based neonatal jaundice screening.