Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation

Objective: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity globally. Mobile health technologies may improve HDP management through patient education, facilitating patient-provider communication, and supporting blood pressure self-monitoring through tailored f...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jennifer Wills, Laura Byham-Gray, Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia, Tenzin Sangmo, Todd Rosen, Shauna Williams, Mafudia Suaray, Shristi Rawal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Preventive Medicine Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525001470
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849730348010700800
author Jennifer Wills
Laura Byham-Gray
Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia
Tenzin Sangmo
Todd Rosen
Shauna Williams
Mafudia Suaray
Shristi Rawal
author_facet Jennifer Wills
Laura Byham-Gray
Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia
Tenzin Sangmo
Todd Rosen
Shauna Williams
Mafudia Suaray
Shristi Rawal
author_sort Jennifer Wills
collection DOAJ
description Objective: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity globally. Mobile health technologies may improve HDP management through patient education, facilitating patient-provider communication, and supporting blood pressure self-monitoring through tailored feedback and reminder prompts. Our objective was to understand the digital health needs of women with HDP from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods: An interactive HDP management digital prototype was developed and evaluated through usability and acceptability testing. Participants included nine pregnant or postpartum women with diagnosed HDP and three maternal-fetal medicine specialists, recruited from two clinics in a predominantly low-income city, Newark, N.J., in 2024 The Technology Acceptance Model was used to guide the assessment of the prototype's acceptability and usability. Data were collected from interviews, a digital literacy questionnaire, and a system usability questionnaire, with quantitative data analyzed descriptively and qualitative data through content analysis. Results: The median gestational age among pregnant women was 22.0 (17.0, 29.0) weeks, with 89 % identifying as Black/African American. Most women (78 %) reported moderate or high digital health literacy. The mean System Usability score was 81 ± 17, indicating good usability. Three themes were identified: high acceptability and usability, the importance of tailored feedback, and the need for real-time provider-patient communication to support treatment decisions. Conclusions: These findings indicate a high acceptability and usability of a digital application for HDP management and home blood pressure monitoring among pregnant and postpartum women diagnosed with HDP and their providers in a low-income urban setting.
format Article
id doaj-art-a9ec99fae69a4806b87763237ca4e613
institution DOAJ
issn 2211-3355
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Preventive Medicine Reports
spelling doaj-art-a9ec99fae69a4806b87763237ca4e6132025-08-20T03:08:55ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552025-07-015510310810.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103108Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluationJennifer Wills0Laura Byham-Gray1Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia2Tenzin Sangmo3Todd Rosen4Shauna Williams5Mafudia Suaray6Shristi Rawal7Rutgers School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, 65 Bergen St, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107, United StatesRutgers School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, 65 Bergen St, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107, United StatesRutgers School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, 65 Bergen St, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107, United StatesRutgers School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, 65 Bergen St, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107, United StatesRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, 125 Paterson St., Suite 4200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United StatesRutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07101, United StatesRutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, 317 George Street, Suite 100, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United StatesRutgers School of Health Professions, Department of Clinical and Preventive Nutrition Sciences, 65 Bergen St, Suite 120, Newark, NJ 07107, United States; Corresponding author.Objective: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity globally. Mobile health technologies may improve HDP management through patient education, facilitating patient-provider communication, and supporting blood pressure self-monitoring through tailored feedback and reminder prompts. Our objective was to understand the digital health needs of women with HDP from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods: An interactive HDP management digital prototype was developed and evaluated through usability and acceptability testing. Participants included nine pregnant or postpartum women with diagnosed HDP and three maternal-fetal medicine specialists, recruited from two clinics in a predominantly low-income city, Newark, N.J., in 2024 The Technology Acceptance Model was used to guide the assessment of the prototype's acceptability and usability. Data were collected from interviews, a digital literacy questionnaire, and a system usability questionnaire, with quantitative data analyzed descriptively and qualitative data through content analysis. Results: The median gestational age among pregnant women was 22.0 (17.0, 29.0) weeks, with 89 % identifying as Black/African American. Most women (78 %) reported moderate or high digital health literacy. The mean System Usability score was 81 ± 17, indicating good usability. Three themes were identified: high acceptability and usability, the importance of tailored feedback, and the need for real-time provider-patient communication to support treatment decisions. Conclusions: These findings indicate a high acceptability and usability of a digital application for HDP management and home blood pressure monitoring among pregnant and postpartum women diagnosed with HDP and their providers in a low-income urban setting.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525001470PregnancyPostpartumHypertensionmHealthAcceptabilityUsability
spellingShingle Jennifer Wills
Laura Byham-Gray
Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia
Tenzin Sangmo
Todd Rosen
Shauna Williams
Mafudia Suaray
Shristi Rawal
Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
Preventive Medicine Reports
Pregnancy
Postpartum
Hypertension
mHealth
Acceptability
Usability
title Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
title_full Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
title_fullStr Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
title_full_unstemmed Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
title_short Usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: A mixed methods evaluation
title_sort usability and acceptability of a mobile application prototype for managing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy a mixed methods evaluation
topic Pregnancy
Postpartum
Hypertension
mHealth
Acceptability
Usability
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335525001470
work_keys_str_mv AT jenniferwills usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT laurabyhamgray usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT pamelarothpletzpuglia usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT tenzinsangmo usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT toddrosen usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT shaunawilliams usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT mafudiasuaray usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation
AT shristirawal usabilityandacceptabilityofamobileapplicationprototypeformanaginghypertensivedisordersofpregnancyamixedmethodsevaluation