01 February 2016
St Michael’s Hospital launches new maternity app
University Hospitals
Bristol has recently launched 'My Pregnancy at St Michael's' - an
app for women who are booked to have their baby at St Michael's
Hospital, or who are researching their birthing options.
The free app, available to download now on Apple and Android
devices, is believed to be the first of its kind in England. Unlike
commercially available apps, the information is specific to St
Michael's. The information on the app comes from more than 60
patient information leaflets, which have been written by
experienced doctors and midwives at the hospital.
Previously, each of the 5000 to 5600 women using maternity
services has been receiving up to 45 of these leaflets during their
pregnancy. Dr Louise Ashelby, obstetric consultant at St Michael's,
conducted a survey amongst pregnant women to find out if they would
prefer to receive this information differently. "More than 75 per
cent of the women we surveyed said they would use an app to access
information during pregnancy," says Louise. "It was clear that it's
what women want."
The main benefit for women is that the information they need
during pregnancy will be more easily accessible. Once the app has
been downloaded, the content is stored on their device, and
they won't need an internet connection to access it. "The majority
of women have their phone on them most of the time, but they won't
always carry their leaflets," says Louise. "Now they can access the
information they need at any time, wherever they are. The app will
also benefit the environment since fewer leaflets will be
printed."
For those who don't own a smartphone or tablet, paper leaflets
will still be available and can be accessed via a midwife. The app
content can also be viewed through the UH Bristol website, where
each leaflet can also be downloaded as a PDF.
To download the app, visit the app store on your smartphone or
tablet and search for 'St Michael's pregnancy'. The app will be
updated regularly, so it is important to ensure that you always
have the most recent version on your device.
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