MHealth Apps and Services for Maternal Healthcare in Developing Countries

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to define mobile health (mHealth) for maternal healthcare in the context of developing countries. This paper also aimed to identify and classify different mHealth apps and services used for maternal healthcare in developing countries by means of a Literature Survey. This paper is part of a larger study which aims to develop guidelines and strategies for implementing mHealth apps and services to support maternal healthcare in public hospitals in Namibia. Studies have revealed that mHealth apps and services have been useful tools in facilitating patient engagement in the healthcare process. This paper contributes to the understanding of existing apps and services which have been adopted for maternal healthcare in developing countries and provides useful insights on the research gaps to support the development of guidelines and strategies for implementing mHealth apps and services for maternal healthcare in public hospitals in Namibia. Twenty papers on mHealth apps and services met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings suggest that short message service and mobile apps have been popular for supporting pregnant and postpartum women in developing countries. Research gaps were identified and recommendations were provided for the Namibian public health sector. The findings of this paper could inform researchers as well as health policymakers within the Namibian public health sector on services which could improve maternal healthcare services in Namibia.