Introduction
The challenges in the healthcare sector are ever-increasing due to emerging issues such as the aging population and an increase in the number of people living with chronic illnesses. The ratio of nurses per population is high. The result is healthcare disparities where some people are disadvantaged due to their demographic characteristics. However, technology promises to reduce such inequalities by automating some of medical workers’ work. Moreover, digitalization provides new avenues for involving patients in their welfare and wellness programs. Through conducting a needs assessment of the community, it is possible to identify the exact technology that best fits the needs of a marginalized group. This paper aims to discuss a needs assessment strategy for African American women at risk of mortality due to lack of prenatal care. The suggested technological solution is the smartphone app and wearables.
Conducting the Needs Assessment
It is crucial to conduct a needs assessment of an underserved population before deciding on the necessary services and technology. The community to be assessed comprises African American women with little access to prenatal care. Notably, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate ratio, which increased from 12.7 to 17.4 out of 100,000 surviving births between 2007 and 2018 (Geraty, 2021). Yet, 60% of these deaths could have been prevented with the proper care (Geraty, 2021). The majority of such deaths are the black non-Hispanic women. To locate the population, the researcher will utilize publicly available data to identify regions with the highest mortality rate due to pregnancy-related issues. Using snowball sampling, participants will then be recruited from these areas to recognize the women and healthcare providers, including midwives, nurses, patient care coordinators, and doctors.
The information will be obtained through two different focused group discussions, one for the healthcare providers and the other for the selected vulnerable situation. There will be different sets of questions for each of the groups, but all involve some of the challenges and complications that black women face leading to high mortality when pregnant. By having two cohorts, the focused-group discussion will first seek to identify some of the disparities among the healthcare team. The information will then be used to guide the questioning of the patient population. Thus, a comparison of the responses given by each of the participants will help in identifying the disparities.
Using Health Assessment in Selecting Health Disparity
A thematic analysis will be utilized to identify the main disparities in assessing the responses. The issue highlighted in most of the responses will be rated high and included as part of the factor leading to health disparity. Therefore, the healthcare issues selected are justified as many of the affected people and the experts identify them as needing to be addressed among the population. For example, in a related research study, the key themes identified during needs assessment include poor physical wellness and lack of health education resources (Vernon & Yang, 2022). Most of the people who die from pregnancy complications have some pre-existing conditions (Woolard, 2022). Thus the assessment should focus on both the health conditions and the contextual vulnerabilities.
The direct demands of the population are important considerations to make in assessment. For example, in a different study with a similar population, findings show that participants needed comprehensive education about sex and pregnancy but received no information (Stones et al., 2021). The responses show that the population perceives the problem as a health disparity. As the community leader, it is vital to remain objective by focusing on the specific thematic issues raised by the population. The solution of having body wearables and a smartphone app for remote monitoring of the pregnant mother is cost-effective and efficient.
Innovative Technology Solution
Smartphones and wearable devices can send and receive information which helps to communicate to the pregnant woman and her healthcare provider how her vital signs are functioning. For instance, 25% of women develop preeclampsia during pregnancy, and 50,000 end up dying from the condition (Purdue College of Engineering, 2020). High blood pressure that has onset during pregnancy carries risk on both the woman and her unborn child. Yet, when woman has the wearables connected with their smartphone, they can check their blood pressure regularly. If they notice that the readings are at a dangerous level, the AppApp they have the contacts of emergency response. Thus, by just sending a red alert or calling the nurse on call, they can receive the care that they need.
Wearables and Apps are suitable in solving the mortality of African American women who lack prenatal care. There are readily available apps designed for such marginalized women, such as the VidaRPM, which measures all physical wellness (Vernon & Yang, 2022). Notably, most of the deaths occur because the women do not receive prompt care. With the Appand wearable devices, women can access all the healthcare services they need quickly. Moreover, many people already have smartphones, and the app cost of purchasing the App is affordable for many people.
Possible technological barriers include poor network and internet, pirated apps, and privacy concerns. Furthermore, digital devices can break down at a time when the person needs the services. The App requires some level of education, hence; the people using it must first learn to read the vital signs and know the normal ranges. Failure to make such considerations can lead to ignorance and the rate of mortality continues. The advantages are that such apps save a life, provide information and continuous monitoring, and are simple apps installed on a smartphone and can be used anywhere. Thus, the technology may have its downfalls but it saves lives.
Conclusion
Conclusively, African American women who fail to receive prenatal care are a vulnerable population. Assessing and understanding their needs is essential to providing the most suited solution. Qualitative assessments such as focused-group discussions can gather a wide array of data. The mobile apps and wearable devices that measure vital signs and give warnings can be a milestone solution in reducing the disparities. The technology has many advantages and can provide critical information while linking women to their healthcare providers.
References
Geraty, M. (2021). Maternal Mortality: A Growing Health Inequity in America. 1-36. Web.
Purdue College of Engineering. (2020). Smartphone apps and wearables improve pregnancy care in low-resource communities. Medium. Web.
Stones, R. E., Stulberg, D. B., & Bello Kottenstette, J. K. (2017). Patient experiences with pregnancy planning and perspectives on reproductive care in community health centers: A qualitative study of African American women in Chicago. Women’s Health Issues, 27(3), 322-328. Web.
Vernon, M. M., & Yang, F. M. (2022). Implementing a self-monitoring application during pregnancy and postpartum for rural and underserved women: A qualitative needs assessment study. PLoS One, 17(7), 0-9. Web.
Woolard, S. E. (2022). Examining the spatial relationship between maternal morbidity, access to health care, and community characteristics in West Virginia. Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports, 1-27. Web.