EMAehealth Web Tool for Pregnancy and Puerperium: Effectiveness

The research team has designed, and will test, a web tool to support traditional Maternal Education (EM). This tool is organized into 4 areas: 1) Information área; 2) Communication área (with peers and with professionals) 3) Self-management health area(instruments to check or reflect on their own health needs, as well as decision algorithms to detect the time of delivery and postpartum alarm symptoms); 4) Clinical data área (the woman can have her clinical data, include it and share it with other professionals) The objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the EMAeHealth tool and also its implementation in the real world (its usability and acceptability, by women and professionals).

The usefulness of Maternal Education, as it is currently being developed, is being questioned due to the obvious changes that have arisen in access to information by mothers and fathers, and due to the changes that have occurred in childbirth care and in the attitude towards the process of motherhood and fatherhood. There is no doubt, however, about the need to advise, care for and accompany couples in this stage of physical, family and social change. To respond to these new needs, the evidence indicates that a digital format may be the most appropriate. So, the research team has designed, and intends to test, a web tool, which is organized into 4 areas: 1) Information area: which will have information based on evidence, permanently updated by health services professionals ; 2) Communication area: allows women to contact other women in similar circumstances, through forums or conversations, or consult with professionals 3) Self-management health area : who have valid and reliable self-assessment instruments to check their own health needs, as well as decision algorithms to detect the time of delivery and postpartum alarm symptoms; 4) Clinical data area: in which the woman can collect clinical data, include the most recent and share it with other professionals if she so wishes. The first area is open access, but not the other three, which require a password. The objective is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the EMAeHealth tool, and also its implementation in the real world (its usability and acceptability, by women and professionals). Methods: The research team propose a hybrid implementation-effectiveness design, which allows us to evaluate aspects related to the context while evaluating the clinical efficacy of the tool. Discussion: A tool like the one described is of interest to women, to professionals and also to the health system. Note- Clinical Trials submision correspond to clinical effectiveness part of the study. Usability and acceptability is not included because it use qualitative methods.