Implications for Design: Supporting Integrative Medicine Providers

Our Project

Objective: Bridge the gap that exists between birthing individuals and pregnancy care professionals by designing mHealth technology that facilitates interaction between professionals and individuals in rural Indiana.

Methods: Conduct 10 semi-structured interviews to gain insights on: pregnant individuals relationship with integrative medicine providers, their use of mobile technology during pregnancy, aspects that help them access and decide for a maternity care provider. From the integrative medicine providers point-of-view: hardships when trying to navigate conventional healthcare networks, building trust and establishing relationships with pregnant individuals, online presence, and how mHealth technologies could help them be known in their area.

Materials: For data analysis, researchers use Descript to transcribe interviews and Dedoose to code interviews. JavaScript and React Native are used to create INPregnancy app.

Findings: We hope that our findings can help us disclose current challenges from both pregnant individuals and integrative medicine providers but also implement these findings in a design that can better supply their needs.

Conclusions: Listening participants talk about communication barriers helped researchers identify implications for designs that can support pregnancy care providers(doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, ...) and encourage further investigation on technologies that can facilitate access to care.

Big Points

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 4 pregnancy care providers and 1 perinatal stage individual.
  
• Collected data about how they meet their healthcare provider or client, what factors influenced their decision about this provider or client, how they interact during their pregnancy journeys, and how do clients and pregnancy care providers conclude their relationship.
  
• Analyzed data and gather insights and identify supportive designs for our study’s population.
  
• Contributed to the ongoing discussion on reforming women’s health technologies and the women’s health landscape in general.