Giving Voice to Parents in the Development of the Preemie Prep for Parents (P3) Mobile App

Abstract

Background: Parents at risk for preterm birth frequently receive prematurity education when the mother is hospitalized for premature labor. Parental ability to learn and consider the information is limited due to the stress of the hospitalization. A promising approach is dissemination of information to at-risk parents before the birth hospitalization.Purpose: This manuscript describes formative research used to develop smartphone-based prematurity education app for parents at-risk for preterm birth.Methods: Stakeholders were parents with a prior preterm birth. Using stakeholder meeting transcripts, constant comparative analysis was used to reflect upon the parental voice. Results:The parents named the app, Preemie Prep for Parents (P3). Parent perspectives revealed desire for information in the following five categories. (1) Power in knowledge and control: parents want autonomy when learning information that may influence medical decision-making.(2) Content and framing of information: they desire information from a trusted resource that helps promote prenatal health and provides neonatal intensive care information. (3) Displaying content: parents want personalization, push-notifications, pictures displaying fetal development and easy to understand statistics. (4) Providing information without causing harm: they desire non-value laden information and they do not support "gamifying" the app to enhance utilization. (5) Decisionmaking: parents want information that would benefit their decision-making without assuming that parents have a certain outlook on life or particular values.Implications for Practice: These findings support the need for the P3 App to aid in decisionmaking when parents experience preterm birth.

Breastfeeding-oriented education for parturients separated from their hospitalized infants: a qualitative study of nurses’ perspectives in Shanghai, China

“…Although not every expectant mother may be ready to learn about BF when they are separated from their baby, in consideration of their psychological state and mood, as mentioned in the result, those with a high risk of postpartum separation can be identified and educated ahead of time. A smartphone-based prematurity education app named Preemie Prep for Parents (P3) was developed for pregnant women with a high risk of preterm birth and has managed to increase parent knowledge [ 32 , 33 ]. At the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, if a woman’s pregnancy is prenatally diagnosed with a fetal anomaly, she will be offered a group prenatal care based on the CenteringPregnancy model [ 34 , 35 ], where she can get support and education on BF.…”

“…Education materials, like paper-based posters or pamphlets, which are inconvenient to carry around, are not actually that practical or efficient [ 47 ]. Provision of educational information through mobile health (mHealth) technology is on the rise, and it has been shown that this promising technology may enhance parents’ capability to understand and apply complex information on BF, even in the event of preterm birth [ 33 , 48 ]. However, if nurses’ preservice education on BF is limited to only a few hours of training, it must be insufficient to provide effective support for the mothers and families [ 49 ].…”

Utilização de aplicativos móveis como estratégia de apoio a familiares no cuidado a recém-nascidos: protocolo scoping review

“…Health care for newborns has undergone significant transformations (2) as the technology evolved and characterizes a broader universe in care, also including parents in this context, through "mobile health" (m-health) (3,4) . The term mHealth is used to describe any healthcare practice assisted by mobile devices (5) , and it is pointed out as a quick and direct method of distributing information to groups of users (6) . These transformations are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in the health agenda through "SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being", which intends that by 2030 there will be no infant and neonatal mortality from preventable causes (7) .…”

Mobile applications for prematurity: a systematic review protocol

“… 26 mHealth technology is being touted as a fast and straightforward method of distributing information to targeted groups. 27 28 mHealth technology can provide a versatile and efficient way of informing parents about prematurity. 27 Consultation with physicians during prenatal cycle using mHealth technology can also improve parents’ ability to grasp and apply intricate medical knowledge in the event of early work and delivery.…”

“… 27 28 mHealth technology can provide a versatile and efficient way of informing parents about prematurity. 27 Consultation with physicians during prenatal cycle using mHealth technology can also improve parents’ ability to grasp and apply intricate medical knowledge in the event of early work and delivery. 28 Besides, using mHealth applications at the user’s convenience also helps minimise the frequency of unnecessary hospital referrals of stable patients.…”