How are Digital solutions important for Maternal Health?

The health of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period always requires positive attention to avoid complications. Pen and paper data collection is largely the most used method in nearly all healthcare centres for record keeping of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period. 

Manual data collection for women during pregnancy and after childbirth is a process where their records, treatment, and personal details are written in a file and a card is issued to the patient. Patients are expected to always bring their cards to the hospital before their files could be retrieved. 

 This method of data collection has brought lots of complications to women in such health centres. 

Aisha Shehu, a resident of Minna, Niger state, and mother of three, shared her experience on some of the issues she encountered due to manual data collection; 2 years after having her first child, her daughter fell ill and was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment. On getting there, she was notified that her file couldn’t be retrieved and therefore would need to buy a new card for a new file despite leaving for the hospital with her daughter’s hospital card. 

Her daughter was then treated without documentation of her previous treatment records. 

During her postnatal period with her second child, she also encountered some challenges as a result of the inadequacies of the manual data collectioThis led her to spend more resources and time in the hospital because they couldn’t find her file. In some cases, these files are eaten by termites or rats.

With our vision at ensuring that every woman before pregnancy and after pregnancy stays safe and responds to treatment positively. The use of Digital devices for Maternal data collection has played a significant role in ensuring adequate and quick responses to patients in the hospital. This method transforms the healthcare industry, experts say digital Maternal healthcare has the potential to reshape every step of healthcare delivery, 

The digital data collection for maternal health care is a process where a card is issued to a patient with a particular number and her details and treatment records are inputted into a system. This process makes it easy for the patient and her relatives to understand her condition better. 

According to research by McKinsey & Company, about 70% of consumers now prefer digital healthcare solutions. However, underserved communities are still left behind due to a lack of access to ICT infrastructure and internet use. 

Why is digital data collection for Maternal Healthcare important?

  • To Increase maternal healthcare engagement
  • Provide faster and safer service
  • Improved access to emergency and specialist care. 
  • Gives access to detailed records both past and present.
  • Allow consumers to participate in their on 

healthcare actively

  • Provide support via tools and applications to help consumers make choices about their healthcare 
  • Create pathways for healthy lifestyle choices
  • Allow greater control over where, when — and by whom — the required care is provided.

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