Understanding the EMR-Related Experiences of Pregnant Japanese Women to Redesign Antenatal Care EMR Systems

• Main Authors: Samar Helou, Victoria Abou-Khalil, Goshiro Yamamoto, Eiji Kondoh, Hiroshi Tamura, Shusuke Hiragi, Osamu Sugiyama, Kazuya Okamoto, Masayuki Nambu, Tomohiro Kuroda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-04-01
• Series: Informatics
• Subjects: Electronic Medical Record system; user experience; antenatal care; Japan; observational study; survey; pregnancy; women; attitudes; person-centered care
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9709/6/2/15

Woman-centered antenatal care necessitates Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems that respect women’s preferences. However, women’s preferences regarding EMR systems in antenatal care remain unknown. This work aims to understand the EMR-related experiences that pregnant Japanese women want. First, we conducted a field-based observational study at an antenatal care clinic at a Japanese university hospital. We analyzed the data following a thematic analysis approach and found multiple EMR-related experiences that pregnant women encounter during antenatal care. Based on the observations’ findings, we administered a web survey to 413 recently pregnant Japanese women to understand their attitudes regarding the EMR-related experiences. Our results show that pregnant Japanese women want accessible, exchangeable, and biopsychosocial EMRs. They also want EMR-enabled explanations and summaries. Interestingly, differences in their demographics and stages of pregnancy affected their attitudes towards some EMR-related experiences. To respect their preferences, we propose amplifying the roles of EMR systems as tools that promote communication and woman-centeredness in antenatal care. We also propose expanding the EMR design mindset from a biomedical to a biopsychosocial-oriented one. Finally, to accommodate the differences in individual needs and preferences, we propose the design of adaptable person-centered EMR systems.