Web and mobile-based technologies for monitoring high-risk pregnancies?

Abstract

Introduction High-risk pregnancy is an illness in which there are severe complications and problems that may cause fetal loss and requires continuous care. It seems that using telemedicine technology is helpful to provide wider access to prenatal care. The aim of this study was to compare the feasibility of using web-based and mobile-based technologies in caring for high-risk pregnancy. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study and the participants included midwives and gynaecologists who worked at teaching hospitals. The data were collected by using two five-point Likert scale questionnaires which were designed based on the literature review. The questionnaires included two main sections: demographic questions and questions related to five aspects of a feasibility study. Face and content validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by the experts and the reliability was checked by using the test-retest method. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results In this study, 79 questionnaires were completed by 50 midwives (63.29%) and 29 gynaecologists (36.71%). Overall, midwives (p=0.001) and gynaecologists (p=0.003) believed that using mobile-based technologies was more feasible than using web-based technologies in caring for high-risk pregnancies. Conclusion It seems that planning for the future technological direction and providing mobile-based applications should be taken into account and prioritised to improve the quality of prenatal care and to increase access to healthcare services for high-risk pregnancies.