Addressing Pregnant Women's First Trimester Worries and Information Needs With mHealth Solutions
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- This is an observational study: the protocol does not assign a study treatment.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Pregnancy Trimester, First, Anxiety, Worries, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Exploring the Anxieties and Health Information Needs of Women in the First Trimester to Inform mHealth Solutions for Antenatal Care
Overview
The first 12 weeks of pregnancy, known as the first trimester, can be one of the most worrying times for women. (Where this lay summary refers to women, it should be taken to include people who do not identify as women but who have the capacity to become pregnant). Many experience nausea, bleeding, or anxiety about whether the pregnancy is progressing normally. Despite this, most women do not see a midwife or doctor until around 10 weeks into the pregnancy. This leaves a gap where they may have important questions but little professional support. As a result, many turn to mobile phone applications or the internet to find answers - but the quality of information online is mixed, and it can be confusing or even unsafe. This research aims to understand what support women really need in early pregnancy, what concerns they have, and whether a mobile health application (mHealth app) could help fill this gap in current pregnancy care in a safe and personalised way. The study will also ask healthcare professionals and digital health experts what such an application should include, and how it can be made accessible, and easy to understand for all women - including those with different levels of health knowledge and digital skills. To carry out the research, we will use a combination of online surveys and interviews. Women who are currently pregnant or have had a baby in the last two years will be invited to take part, along with healthcare professionals such as midwives and doctors, and experts in digital health. The survey will ask about their experiences in early pregnancy, how they have used digital tools or apps, and whether they felt their questions were answered before their first NHS appointment. The interview stage will allow participants to talk in more depth about what support they wanted and what would have helped them most. All participants will receive information about support services because we realise that discussing unmet information needs or worries in early pregnancy may be upsetting for some women. The views collected will inform the design of a new mobile application to support women during early pregnancy. The application will use artificial intelligence (AI) to personalise information based on each woman's needs and background, and to explain things clearly and simply. The content and design of the application will be reviewed by doctors and digital health specialists to make sure it is safe, accurate, and easy to use. Public and patient involvement is central to this project. A diverse group of women and representatives from grassroots organisations will be invited to shape the questions we ask, review the design of the application, and help us make it inclusive for people from different backgrounds. This research will help us create a practical, trustworthy, and inclusive tool to support women during one of the most vulnerable times in pregnancy when women don't usually see a doctor. If successful, it could be used widely across the NHS to help reduce anxiety, improve understanding, and ensure women get the right support earlier in their pregnancy with the long-term aim of improving outcomes for women, babies, and families across the UK.
Primary outcome measures
- Levels of Self-Reported Anxiety in the First Trimester (Quantitative Survey Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Themes of Anxiety During the First Trimester (Qualitative Survey Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Themes of Anxiety During the First Trimester (Interview Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Information Needs During the First Trimester (Survey responses) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Information Needs During the First Trimester (Interview Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- mHealth Applications Perspectives and Feature Preferences from a Healthcare Professional Perspective (Qualitative survey data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- mHealth Application Content Preferences and Perceived Gaps from a Healthcare Professional perspective (Quantitative Survey Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Key Themes from Healthcare Professionals on Design, Implementation, and AI Use in Pregnancy mHealth Tools (Interview Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- mHealth Applications Perspectives and Feature Preferences from a Digital Health Expert Perspective (Quantitative survey data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Feature Preferences and Content Gaps in current mHealth tools from a Digital Health expert perspective (Qualititative survey data) [Time frame: Day 1]
- Key Themes from Digital Health Experts on App Design, Implementation, and AI Use in Pregnancy mHealth Applications (Interview Data) [Time frame: Day 1]
Eligibility criteria
Pregnant women
Inclusion criteria
- To ensure that participants have the first trimester of pregnancy fresh in their minds the sample will include women that are currently pregnant or have had a child within the last 2 years
- Living in the UK
- Over the age of 18
- Able to give informed consent Exclusion criteria
- Evidence of/diagnosis of cognitive impairment
Healthcare professionals
Inclusion criteria
\- Belonging to one of the following professional groups i.e. healthcare professionals involved in the care of pregnant women
- Doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology
- Midwives
- Nurses (within the field of obstetrics and gynaecology),
- Sonographers that scan pregnant women
- General practitioners
- Psychologists (that work with pregnant women)
- Physiotherapists (that work with pregnant women)
- Living in the UK
- Over the age of 18
- Able to give informed consent Exclusion criteria
- Evidence of/diagnosis of cognitive impairment
Digital Health Experts
Inclusion criteria
- Professionals with at least 3 year's experience in digital health, health informatics or mobile health application development
- Based in the United Kingdom Exclusion criteria
- Evidence of/diagnosis of cognitive impairment
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07114471 · 14945