scholarly journals Health Information Technologies in the Support Systems of Pregnant Women and Their Caregivers: Mixed-Methods Study

10.2196/10865 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. e10865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Taylor Dorst ◽  
Shilo H Anders ◽  
Sai Chennupati ◽  
Qingxia Chen ◽  
Gretchen Purcell Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Health Information Technologies

scholarly journals Health Information Technologies in the Support Systems of Pregnant Women and Their Caregivers: Mixed-Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Taylor Dorst ◽  
Shilo H Anders ◽  
Sai Chennupati ◽  
Qingxia Chen ◽  
Gretchen Purcell Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Support System ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Internet Search ◽  
Health Information Technologies ◽  
Stress Levels

BACKGROUND The quality and quantity of families’ support systems during pregnancy can affect maternal and fetal outcomes. The support systems of expecting families can include many elements, such as family members, friends, and work or community groups. Emerging health information technologies (eg, social media, internet websites, and mobile apps) provide new resources for pregnant families to augment their support systems and to fill information gaps. OBJECTIVE This study sought to determine the number and nature of the components of the support systems of pregnant women and their caregivers (eg, family members) and the role of health information technologies in these support systems. We examined the differences between pregnant women’s support systems and those of their caregivers and the associations between support system composition and stress levels. METHODS We enrolled pregnant women and caregivers from advanced maternal-fetal and group prenatal care clinics. Participants completed surveys assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy, numeracy, and stress levels and were asked to draw a picture of their support system. Support system elements were extracted from drawings, categorized by type (ie, individual persons, groups, technologies, and other) and summarized for pregnant women and caregivers. Participant characteristics and support system elements were compared using the Pearson chi-square test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon ranked sum test for continuous variables. Associations between support system characteristics and stress levels were measured with Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS The study enrolled 100 participants: 71 pregnant women and 29 caregivers. The support systems of pregnant women were significantly larger than those of caregivers—an average of 7.4 components for pregnant women and 5.4 components for caregivers (P=.003). For all participants, the most commonly reported support system elements were individual persons (408/680, 60.0%), followed by people groups (132/680, 19.4%), technologies (112/680, 16.5%), and other resources (28/680, 4.1%). Pregnant women’s and caregivers’ technology preferences within their support systems differed—pregnant women more often identified informational websites, apps, and social media as parts of their support systems, whereas caregivers more frequently reported general internet search engines. The size and components of these support systems were not associated with levels of stress. CONCLUSIONS This study is one of the first demonstrating that technologies comprise a substantial portion of the support systems of pregnant women and their caregivers. Pregnant women more frequently reported specific medical information websites as part of their support system, whereas caregivers more often reported general internet search engines. Although social support is important for maternal and fetal health outcomes, no associations among stress, support system size, and support system components were found in this study. As health information technologies continue to evolve and their adoption increases, their role in patient and caregiver support systems and their effects should be further explored.

scholarly journals Understanding the Use of Smartphone Apps for Health Information Among Pregnant Chinese Women: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Wang ◽  
Zequn Deng ◽  
Li Ming Wen ◽  
Yan Ding ◽  
Gengsheng He
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Fetal Development ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Lifestyle Modifications ◽  
Maternity Hospitals

BACKGROUND Hospital-based health promotion resources to assist pregnant women in adopting a healthy lifestyle and optimizing gestational weight gain are important, but with limited effects. Increasingly, women are using mobile apps to access health information during the antenatal period. OBJECTIVE The aims of the study were to investigate app-usage by Chinese women during pregnancy and to gain a better understanding of their views and attitudes toward apps containing health information. METHODS A mixed methods study design was applied. Study participants were recruited from 2 maternity hospitals in Shanghai, China, between March and July 2018. A self-administered Web-based survey was conducted with 535 pregnant Chinese women on their sources of health information and reasons for using apps during pregnancy. A total of 4 semistructured focus groups were also conducted with the pregnant women (n=28). RESULTS The use of pregnancy-related apps and the internet was common among the respondents. Almost half of the women had used pregnancy-related apps. Specifically, the use of apps for health information declined as pregnancy progressed from 70% (35/50) in the first trimester to 41.3% (143/346) in the third trimester. The main reason for using an app was to monitor fetal development (436/535, 81.5%), followed by learning about nutrition and recording diet in pregnancy (140/535, 26.2%). The women found that the apps were useful and convenient and can support lifestyle modifications during pregnancy. However, some apps also contained misinformation or incorrect information that could cause anxiety as reported by the participants. Many women expressed the need for developing an app containing evidence-based, well-informed, and tailored health information to support them during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that apps were widely used by many Chinese women during pregnancy to monitor fetal development, to obtain diet and physical activity information, and to track their body changes. The women highly appreciated the evidence-based information, expert opinions, and tailored advice available on apps. Smartphone apps have the potential to deliver health information for pregnant women.

scholarly journals Involvement of Male Partners of Pregnant Women in the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV in Haiti: A Mixed-Methods Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 155798832110060
Author(s):  
Patrice Ngangue ◽  
Middle Fleurantin ◽  
Rheda Adekpedjou ◽  
Leonel Philibert ◽  
Marie-Pierre Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Male Involvement ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Mother To Child Transmission ◽  
Male Partners ◽  
Hiv Status ◽  
Child Transmission ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Mother To Child

This mixed-methods study aimed to determine the level of male involvement in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in Haiti and identify barriers and associated factors. From May to June 2018, a questionnaire was used to measure the level of male involvement. Semistructured interviews with pregnant women were also conducted. Multivariate linear regression and qualitative content analyses were performed to explore factors associated and barriers to male partners’ involvement in PMTCT services. One hundred and two pregnant women living with HIV completed the questionnaire. About 47% of male partners had a high level of involvement. Specifically, 90% financially supported their spouse, and 82% knew her appointment date at the antenatal clinic (ANC). Only 25% of male partners accompanied their spouse to the ANC, and 19% routinely used a condom during sexual intercourse. Factors associated with male involvement in PMTCT were being married and sharing HIV status with the male partner. Male partners with a positive HIV status were more likely to be involved in PMTCT. Qualitative findings revealed that barriers to male involvement included the conflict between opening hours of the ANC and the male partner’s schedule, waiting time at the ANC, and the perception of antenatal care as being women’s business. Overall male partners’ involvement in PMTCT services is moderate. Gender relations, sociocultural beliefs, and care organization are likely to hinder this involvement. Developing and implementing contextually and culturally accepted strategies for male partners of pregnant women could contribute to strengthening their involvement in the PMTCT program.

scholarly journals The use of smartphones on General Internal Medicine wards

2014 ◽  
Vol 05 (03) ◽  
pp. 814-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Morra ◽  
V. Lo ◽  
S. Quan ◽  
R. Wu ◽  
K. Tran
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Health Information ◽  
General Internal Medicine ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
General Internal ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Internal Medicine Wards

Summary Objective: To describe the uses of institutional and personal smartphones on General Internal Medicine wards and highlight potential consequences from their use. Methods: A mixed methods study consisting of both quantitative and qualitative research methods was conducted in General Internal Medicine wards across four academic teaching hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. Participants included medical students, residents, attending physicians and allied health professionals. Data collection consisted of work shadowing observations, semi-structured interviews and surveys. Results: Personal smartphones were used for both clinical communication and non-work-related activities. Clinicians used their personal devices to communicate with their medical teams and with other medical specialties and healthcare professionals. Participants understood the risks associated with communicating confidential health information via their personal smartphones, but appear to favor efficiency over privacy issues. From survey responses, 9 of 23 residents (39%) reported using their personal cell phones to email or text patient information that may have contained patient identifiers. Although some residents were observed using their personal smartphones for non-work-related activities, personal use was infrequent and most residents did not engage in this activity. Conclusion: Clinicians are using personal smartphones for work-related purposes on the wards. With the increasing popularity of smartphone devices, it is anticipated that an increasing number of clinicians will use their personal smartphones for clinical work. This trend poses risks to the secure transfer of confidential personal health information and may lead to increased distractions for clinicians. Citation: Tran K, Morra D, Lo V, Quan S, Wu R. The use of smartphones on General Internal Medicine wards: A mixed methods study. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 814–823http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-02-RA-0011

Health Information Technologies: Which Nursing Homes Adopted Them?

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Susan Feng Lu ◽  
Biao Xu ◽  
Bingxiao Wu ◽  
Rosa Rodriguez-Monguio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Health Information Technologies
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