In the need of a digital cicerone in healthcare? – Guidance for parents

Abstract

Objective To explore parents’ experiences using digital tools in relation to pregnancy, labor and birth, and the child’s first 18 months. Background Parents find relevant information using digital healthcare tools, material obtained from professionals, as well as personal opinions and experiences that vary in quality. Method Fifteen parents were interviewed and data were analyzed beginning with content analysis and followed by thematic analysis. Results The main theme was insecurity and responsibility for own choices and knowledge. Parents use digital tools to take responsibility for their insecurity and need for knowledge when entering parenthood. Conclusion The parents’ experiences highlighted that (1) insecurity can be both eased and enhanced using digital tools, (2) they took responsibility for feelings of insecurity and the search for knowledge, and (3) they needed knowledge to make the right choices and feel secure that these choices are made in the best interest of their new family.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of a digital parental support, Childbirth Journey, constructed as a serious game—An intervention study

“…In another study, Vivilaki and Asimaki described how midwives should become the strategic guardians for women in the ongoing digital transformation in our society (22) so that they can succeed in this digital transformation (9). This observation was also made in another study that problematised whether parents were truly in need of a digital cicerone in health care to guide them through the sensitive phase of childbearing and early parenthood (20). In our findings, the participants described experiencing frustration with technical errors or insufficient guidance on how to proceed in the game.…”

“…The considerable number of identified limitations attributable to graphics, sounds and other technical functions led some participants (mostly midwives working within labour care) to decline to recommend Childbirth Journey to parents in its current format. Their reasoning for this decision was that they were worried that parents who used Childbirth Journey would get an inaccurate impression of actual labour unit practices, which might in turn make these parents more anxious ( 13 , 20 ). This revelation highlights the importance of having a development team with broad experience, one that includes both healthcare professionals with clinical knowledge and technical staff that possess expertise in building applications and games—importantly, this team should be collaborative and well-integrated.…”

Exploring the first-time transition to parenthood in mainland China: a qualitative study on the experiences of fathers and mothers using the transition shock model

“…Based on the interview results, it appears that participants had limited access to health education provided by hospitals. This can be attributed to two primary factors: limited availability of time to attend on-site education sessions and the absence of regular education programs ( Backstrom et al, 2022a , b ). With the maturation of digital technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), hospitals and healthcare providers have the opportunity to create online health education courses.…”