A new app aims to help women track heart health after pregnancy complications and close gaps in postpartum care, a new study suggests.
Called MumCare, the tool is described as a digital companion to support the prevention and follow-up of maternal cardiovascular risk, meaning the risk of heart and blood vessel disease, after pregnancy complications.
The app helps postpartum women, meaning women in the months after giving birth, track blood pressure, weight, physical activity and lab results, and provides personalised feedback for self-management, mainly during the first year after birth.
The MumCare project team in Oslo included an IT expert, obstetricians, a midwife, a GP, two sociologists and two cardiologists, all with relevant experience in eHealth and women’s health. A medical student with technological and medical expertise also contributed to translating ideas into functional app features for young women.
User representatives from two national patient associations contributed to information, recruitment, design and testing of the MumCare app.
Both associations offered key user perspectives and took part in interviews and app testing.
Additional users with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy or gestational diabetes at Oslo University Hospital were also involved throughout the co-creation process.
The app’s infrastructure prioritises security and privacy, with encryption, de-identification and two-factor authentication.
User data is stored securely on the app and, for research purposes and with user consent, on a dedicated University of Oslo server, complying with GDPR and Norwegian regulations.
A linear stage-gate model structured the co-creation process, dividing it into phases with quality checkpoints evaluated in project meetings.
The study said this approach balanced internal development and external user feedback to help ensure the app was evidence-based, technically robust and user-centred.
The app is also designed to support the transition from specialist pregnancy care to long-term follow-up with general practitioners.
The researchers said it functions as a digital health coach and does not replace clinical diagnosis or function as a medical device.
The co-creation process followed four phases focused on technical and procedural development. In phase 1, input from expert organisations and user representatives established the app’s technical foundation.
It also reminds users of the one-year postpartum follow-up with their general practitioner, a key time to assess risk factors and future care needs. User organisation representatives gave feedback in phase 1, directly guiding content and feature development.
Phase 2 interviews confirmed users wanted to monitor cardiovascular risk factors after pregnancy complications.
The analysis highlighted three themes: self-care strategies and uncertainties about hypertension, the need for accessible health information, and a call for a more personalised approach to blood pressure monitoring.
Concerns that frequent monitoring or app use could increase stress or create a sense of burden were also raised.
In phase 3, the app’s design and features were revised based on feedback to improve usability and ensure they met users’ needs.
These changes led to a more intuitive and supportive interface for women during and after pregnancy.
Phase 4 involved building a prototype, with further refinements after testing by the project team and users. Initial pilot testing with a small number of users suggested the app met its objectives and functioned as intended.
The app was developed using input from users, stakeholders and clinical experts through co-creation.
The study said five qualitative interviews and 10 user testing sessions informed improvements, and primarily analysed the iterative co-creation process rather than clinical outcomes.
The MumCare app is currently being evaluated in a randomised controlled clinical trial that began in June 2024, with results needed to determine its effectiveness in improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes.
