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Testing a Digital Tool to Support Healthy Pregnancies
Sponsor: Hunter and New England Health
Summary
The delivery of preventive care for modifiable health risks (smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain) is a critical part of antenatal care. Clinical guidelines recommend that preventive care is delivered using three elements: Ask, Advise, and Help (AAH). Unfortunately, the AAH model for modifiable risk factors is not routinely delivered to all pregnant people in face-to-face antenatal visits. We will test if adding a digital support tool to usual antenatal care increases the provision of guideline-recommended preventive care for smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain, compared to usual antenatal care at two maternity services based at Maitland Hospital and Manning Base Hospital in New South Wales, Australia. The digital support tool will provide the opportunity for pregnant people to self-assess smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain risk prior to their antenatal visits, while also being provided with tailored guideline-based information and the opportunity to self-refer to support services. Use of the digital support tool may also prompt pregnant people and/or their antenatal clinicians to have discussions around smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain risks at antenatal appointments. As well as assessing impact on receipt of care for smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain, we will also explore the feasibility, acceptability, barriers/enablers to use and content and functional preferences of the digital support tool for pregnant people.
Official title: Efficacy, Feasibility, and Acceptability of a Hybrid Patient Care Model in Improving Access to Guideline Recommended Antenatal Preventive Care
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
840
Start Date
2025-03
Completion Date
2026-04
Last Updated
2025-03-26
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Hybrid care model
Participants will receive usual antenatal care (in-person), plus the digital support tool. A co-design process was used to develop the tool based on consumer feedback. The tool is based on the recommended Assess/ask, Advise, Help approach to preventive care for smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain. Participants will be prompted (via SMS) to use the digital support tool at regular intervals throughout their pregnancy to self-assess health risks and be reminded of recommendations and available coaching services.
Usual Care
Participants will receive usual antenatal care (in-person), which is recommended to include the delivery of preventive care using the AAH model for smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity and gestational weight gain.
Locations (2)
Maitland Hospital Maternity Services
Maitland, New South Wales, Australia
Manning Hospital Maternity Services
Taree, New South Wales, Australia