Using of Digital Home Devices and Mobile Health Applications during Pregnancy: Acceptance and Concerns

Background: There is a significant demographic transition and economic development taking place in the Arab countries. Women’s health and reproductive healthcare services are also affected by this transition. In digital health, technology is used to improve patient care through telemedicine, mobile health, electronic health records, and artificial intelligence. Aim: the study examined women’s acceptance of digital health devices and mobile Apps during pregnancy, as well as their perceived barriers to using it. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted at maternal and children Minia University Hospital, included 880 patients from obstetrics and gynecology departments. Self-administered questionnaires are used for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: (a) background information and obstetric history (b) adoption of health-related applications (c) acceptance, barriers, and concerns. Results: the majority of respondents (76.7%) accepted the use of a digital device or an app to keep track of the mother and fetus during pregnancy. About one third (33.9%) of participants used mobile health apps. The lack of recommendations from healthcare providers and the cost were cited by (3.9%) and (3%) of respondents, respectively, as reasons for limited use of digital devices or mobile apps. A negative correlation exists between women’s age and their readiness to use digital devices and apps (P value 0.034). Using digital devices and apps is highly correlated with women’s education level, language preference, and cost of payment (P value 0.000). Conclusion: In obstetrics, telehealth interventions, such as remote monitoring, improve outcomes. With digital home devices and apps, obstetric care can be improved. This includes eliminating travel, detecting complications early and preventing recurrences, and reducing the need for hospital admissions. A recommendation for the upcoming research is to identify the apps pregnant women are willing to use and choose the best app based on their perspectives.