Pregnant Patient’s Journey: App Enhances Obstetric Care

Technology has been transforming various sectors, including healthcare, which can benefit from innovation to elevate the quality of care and operational efficiency. Today, new systems facilitate the interaction of professionals with patients and enable better health monitoring. For users, this change means easier access to essential information on self-care and quality of life.

The project by act digital exemplifies this new context. It involves the development of an app for pregnant women, promoting continuous monitoring throughout the entire obstetric period. The institution that adopted this solution is renowned for its medical excellence and social commitment in Brazil.

Before starting this project, the group conducted obstetric monitoring without a tool to facilitate this process. The lack of adequate technological resources hindered the dissemination of information on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum to pregnant women and healthcare professionals.

To resolve these issues, the act digital team worked on developing a mobile app designed to provide practical information and resources for pregnant women and doctors. Today, the tool not only meets the guidance needs sought by pregnant women but also empowers professionals in the field, focusing on ensuring better assistance throughout pregnancy.

Client: Medical Excellence and Social Commitment in Brazil

With over 60 years of existence, the institution has established itself as a benchmark for quality in medical practice in Brazil. Founded with a commitment to innovate and grow with excellence, the organization emerged from the community’s dream of providing high-quality medical care to the Brazilian population. Since its inception, the institution has stood out for its cutting-edge technology services and humanized care.

The organization has become a model in advanced medical treatments and has expanded its horizons through social responsibility initiatives, education, and research. Since the 1960s, it has been committed to social actions such as assistance programs in underserved communities and public-private partnerships aimed at meeting healthcare sector needs in terms of assistance, technology, and competencies.

Challenge: Lack of Technological Resources for Obstetric Monitoring

Before the development of the mobile app, the institution faced several challenges related to the obstetric monitoring of doctors and pregnant women. The lack of adequate technological resources hindered the dissemination of essential information on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

As the institution prioritizes the quality of medical care, it focuses on the patient experience, which, during pregnancy, requires a series of clarifications. Aspects such as birth projection, guidance on symptoms, and even planning all stages of pregnancy are relevant but were not easily accessible because the institution did not yet have an accessible technological platform for prenatal monitoring.

Solution: Development of an App for Pregnant Women

To tackle the challenges of obstetric monitoring, the institution decided to launch an accessible and practical mobile app that meets the needs of both pregnant women and involved professionals. The main objective of this app is to provide information on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Additionally, it aims to equip doctors and nurses with updated knowledge and practical tools to improve the quality of care, reducing risks and errors.

The app was designed with two distinct views: one for doctors and nurses, and another for pregnant women. For professionals, the functionalities offered include access to pre-registered courses and workflows, calculation tools for clinical support, and practical resources for managing obstetric care. For pregnant women, the main features are access to educational courses on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum; a customizable birth plan; a gestational calculator; and a risk calculator.

Technologies and Methodologies Used

To ensure efficient and high-quality development, modern technologies and the agile Scrum methodology were employed.

Agile Scrum Methodology

The development team adopted the agile Scrum methodology, which allows for an iterative and incremental development process. This approach promotes continuous collaboration among team members, constant feedback, and quick adaptation to changes during the development process.

Front-end: React Native with Expo

The app’s front-end was developed using React Native with Expo, a combination that enables the creation of native mobile applications for iOS and Android from a single codebase. React Native is known for its efficiency and ability to provide a smooth and responsive user experience.

Back-end: Node.js and Firebase

The back-end of the app was built with Node.js, a platform that enables the development of scalable and high-performance applications. Firebase was chosen as the database, offering robust storage and real-time synchronization features, essential for ensuring the app functions efficiently even in areas with limited internet connectivity.

CMS: Drupal

For content management, such as the insertion of courses and medical processes, Drupal was used, a highly flexible and secure content management system (CMS). Drupal allows healthcare professionals to easily update and manage the content available in the app.

Results: Initial Impact of the Obstetric App

The solution was recently made available on the Android and Apple app stores and was well-received by early users, demonstrating the tool’s potential.

Initial Benefits Observed

Positive Reviews

Early user reviews highlight the quality and utility of the app. The 5-star rating reflects the satisfaction of initial users with the features offered and the app’s user-friendly interface.

Easy and Free Access

The app’s free availability on major app stores (Google Play and App Store) facilitates access for pregnant women and healthcare professionals, allowing an increasing number of users to benefit from the information and resources offered.

Practical and Educational Features

Initial feedback indicates that features such as educational courses, a customizable birth plan, and gestational calculators are highly valued by users.

Potential Future Impact

As the app gains more visibility and users, it is expected to become an essential tool for pregnant women and healthcare professionals throughout Brazil.

How We Can Help Your Company

act digital has a team of specialists dedicated to building the best digital solution for each business. Our team consists of over 4,700 employees, operating in 12 different countries, with extensive experience in the challenges faced by various sectors, including healthcare. This enables us to develop projects that generate impact and transformation.

Our teams are committed to helping healthcare institutions expand their digital presence and improve the quality of care with the use of technological innovations. We employ the best methodologies and technologies to transform the patient journey, improve process efficiency, and drive innovation in healthcare services.

The use of mobile apps enhances the experience of healthcare service users and facilitates the interaction of professionals with patients. Learn more about this type of solution. Contact our specialists.