Shaping Baby Buddy Cyprus: eHealth literacy for the transition to parenthood

Abstract

Abstract Issue The transition to parenthood presents opportunities to promote mother-child health. Though of varying quality, internet information-seeking is prevalent while attendance in antenatal classes is low. Digital innovation can support access to timely and valid information for all, key component of WHO's Respectful Maternity Care. Description of the problem ”Baby Buddy Forward” assessed the cross-national transferability of the innovative Baby Buddy (UK) healthy pregnancy and early parenthood app to the medicalized and decentralized birth environment in Cyprus. Within a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, formative qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to engage with the professional and mums-to-be community and deliver a locally relevant resource to enhance user-provider communication and shared decision-making. Results We (a) assessed available resources in a structured quantitative and qualitative rating exercise, (b) identified gaps and priorities in an eDelphi survey (N = 275 mums and 193 professionals, re-rated at annual Midwifery conference), (c) gained in-depth understanding of information-seeking behaviours in a series of focus groups with a diverse set of mums-to-be (N = 100) and (d) explored perceptions about the use of internet for information in pregnancy and the quality of communication with professionals in a questionnaire survey (N = 200). New health communication material was co-created with participants and an intervention for embedding the tool in clinical practice was proposed within the COM-B behavioural change framework. Lessons In a “changing landscape” of antenatal education, Baby Buddy functions as “proof of concept” for cross-national innovation exchange. Beyond a learning experience, the use of PAR provided ground for building transdisciplinary alliances and creating a public health digital resource to enhance the health literacy of new parents and support the educational role of maternal and child health professionals. Key messages Digital resources can reduce social disparities, enrich the user-provider exchange and support the educational role of professionals. PAR provides a framework for co-creation and sense of common purpose.