O88 - Understanding women’s needs and preferences for pregnancy information in Australia

Abstract

Insight into the way’s women access information in pregnancy allows healthcare providers to incorporate sources of communication into maternity care to help women obtain relevant and valuable information. Mobile phone apps could be one intervention to improve engagement with healthcare services and enhance evidence-based knowledge about pregnancy-related healthcare needs. To explore how pregnant women in Australia access pregnancy-related information and identify any barriers to, and facilitators for, providing pregnancy information. Research design and participants: A qualitative descriptive/exploratory study was conducted using data from four focus groups. Recruitment occurred at a large metropolitan hospital in Sydney, Australia. Participants were approached in the antenatal clinics by midwifery staff. A research midwife discussed the study with eligible women, provided an information sheet and obtained written informed consent before the focus groups. Participants reported common usage of web-based search engines and mobile phone apps to seek pregnancy information. Four themes were identified: (1) Basis for seeking information; (2) Sourcing information; (3) Barriers when seeking information; and (4) Potential benefits of accessing information via technology. Improvements for promoting the development and utilization of these tools were also recommended. Women use various technological resources, including mobile apps, to receive pregnancy-related information. Apps were at times used in place of seeking professional advice. To harness the potential benefits of this technology in maternity care, we recommend that healthcare providers engage women in the development of app resources via a co-production process. Understanding of the value of using technology in maternity care and suggestions about making it acceptable to women’s needs is crucial for effective maternity care in Australia.