JMIR Form Res
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States.
Published: March 2018
Background: Patient portals offer patients personalized and secure Web access to their medical information and enable patients to manage their health care online. However, there is a lack of information about patient acceptance and use of patient portals among low-income pregnant women.
Objective: This formative research aims to assess the potential of a patient portal, MyChart, for improving prenatal health care and pregnancy outcomes, and identify the barriers and facilitators of MyChart use among low-income pregnant women.
Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 low-income pregnant women comprising low- and high-risk patients enrolled in a prenatal clinic in eastern North Carolina. MyChart use, patient demographics, and pregnancy information were collected by reviewing electronic medical charts. Health literacy was measured. Reported use and attitudes toward MyChart were collected using a semi-structured interview.
Results: Although 39% (7/18) of participants interviewed signed up for MyChart, only 22% (4/18) of them became active users. Another 33% (6/18) had never heard of MyChart or was unsure of how to access it. Users primarily accessed test results and appointment schedules. The main facilitating factors for patient portal use were information and motivation from health care providers and concerns about pregnancy due to a history of miscarriage. Reported barriers were lack of educational resources, lack of care provider encouragement, and technical difficulties possibly exacerbated by low health literacy. Participants also suggested improvements for MyChart, especially the provision of discussion-based support for pregnant women.
Conclusions: The one-time verbal introduction of MyChart does not meet current patients' needs. Data reveal the need for more consistent patient education and support programs, tailored to patients' previous pregnancy histories. The clinic also needs to facilitate better provider-patient communication about the importance of MyChart use.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334707 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/formative.5322 | DOI Listing |
Background: Despite the significant public health burden of maternal mental health disorders in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), limited data are available on their effects on early childhood development (ECD), nutritional status, and child health in the region.
Aims: This study investigated the association between maternal mental health and ECD, nutritional status, and common childhood illnesses, while controlling for biological, social, financial, and health-related factors and/or confounders.
Method: As part of the Innovative Partnership for Universal and Sustainable Healthcare (i-PUSH) program evaluation study, initiated in November 2019, a cohort of low-income rural families, including pregnant women or women of childbearing age with children under five, was recruited for this study.
PLoS One
January 2025
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Background: Antenatal care (ANC) coverage in low- and middle-income countries has increased in the past few decades. However, merely increasing care coverage may not enhance maternal and newborn health unless the recommended service components are also provided. Our aim was to assess the quality of ANC and its associated factors in Ethiopia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealth Promot Int
January 2025
Department of Health Care Science, China Medical University, 100, Sec. 1, Jingmao Road, Taichung 406040, Taiwan.
Inadequate nutrition intake during pregnancy elevates the risk of adverse health outcomes during pregnancy, with potential long-term repercussions for both mother and child, extending to subsequent generations. Current initiatives to improve individual dietary habits emphasize promoting nutrition literacy (NL), which encompasses the ability to access, comprehend, and use basic nutrition information and services necessary for making appropriate nutrition decisions. However, there were limited data on the NL of pregnant women in Vietnam.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlob Health Action
December 2024
Department of Education in Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB), Byumba, Rwanda.
Background: In low-income rural Rwanda, adolescent pregnancy limits health and education, leading to poor health outcomes, high dropout rates, and restricted socioeconomic mobility. While previous studies have inspected the prevalence, stigma, and health-related aspects of adolescent pregnancy in Rwanda, research is needed to investigate the impact of parental support and reproductive health education in these communities.
Objectives: This research investigates the connection between adolescent pregnancy, socioeconomic status, and parental engagement in reproductive health education in rural Rwanda.
Glob Health Action
December 2024
Pediatrics, The University of Vermont, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT, USA.
Background: Neonatal and maternal mortality remains high in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Quality data collection is crucial to understand the magnitude of these problems and to measure the impact of interventions aimed at improving neonatal and maternal mortality. However, data collection in the low-income country setting, especially in rural areas, has been a challenge for researchers, policy makers, and public health officials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!
© LitMetric 2025. All rights reserved.