The JanamApp has been designed to address educational, cultural and social barriers in pregnancy and the post-natal period by providing culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate information in multiple South Asian languages. By providing women with validated evidence-based information in a language that they can understand and with appropriate visual images and animations the app will improve accessibility for women from different ethnic groups empowering them to make informed decisions about their care.
It’s hoped the app will reduce missed and cancelled appointments by explaining the importance of engagement with healthcare and that targeted information in the app will help support women to know what to look out for and how to self-manage common issues as well as understanding when and how to raise concerns with healthcare professionals.
The app will offer access to healthy lifestyle advice, covering both physical and mental health, to improve the woman's wellbeing. This will also hopefully improve adherence and engagement with treatments options for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, prematurity, and mental health.
The app is the brainchild of Professor Angie Doshani, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, who said: “We know women from ethnic minority backgrounds have worse outcomes during pregnancy and post-natally. Creating easy to access clinical information in a way that people can relate to and understand will help better support women and this app is one way of trying to improve outcomes.”
The project recently received almost £100,000 funding from Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare. SBRI Healthcare provides funding to innovators to develop solutions that tackle existing unmet needs faced by the NHS. The programme aims to improve patient care, increase efficiency in the NHS, and support the UK economy.
Professor Doshani is leading on the project in collaboration with Dr Sameer Nakedar GP and director of 2SN Healthcare Limited. Dr Ceri Jones from the University of Leicester will be evaluating the app before a wider local and national rollout.
Senior Midwife, Jethi Karavadara, and other members of the medical and midwifery team have contributed to the app using co-design methods with women and their support networks.
For more information email the Communications Team at
communications@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
