Well@Birth- Can a mobile health (mHealth) intervention, with no internet connection, support multi-disciplinary healthcare teams at remote locations in a developed country?

Alan White

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Access to up to date educational materials is viewed as being critical in both recruiting and retaining healthcare staff in remote areas. This proposal draws on investigations (White, 2018; White et al, 2019). These explored whether mHealth tools could support the management of women with pre-eclampsia in rural and remote settings in Highland Scotland. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A prototype toolkit was piloted as part of Making it Work a European project about recruitment and retention of Healthcare Practitioners in remote and rural areas. Members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, at remote locations in Highland Scotland were recruited as participants in the study. They were asked to consider the quality of the content and the usefulness of the toolkit. The study also explored whether such a toolkit might offer any advantage and/or improvement over areas of current practice other than maternal health. Qualitative methods were used and focus groups [n=18] and several 1:1 interviews [n=9] were conducted with multidisciplinary team members. A thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the transcribed data. Findings:  5 themes were identified: Using the toolkit Offering support to those working at remote locations Assisting in decision making Learning on the move Using the toolkit to explain conditions to patients The participants in the study agreed that a mHealth toolkit could be of value to both midwives and less specialised healthcare practitioners. These include GPs, Practice Nurses, Mental Health Practitioners, GP Practice Receptionists, NHS 24, Healthcare Support Workers, Paramedics, Police Officers and carers who encounter people with health, and social care challenges at remote locations. The ability to use the toolkit to work on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) whilst on the move was particularly welcomed. The potential to incorporate predictive analytics was also thought to be valuable and worth further exploration.