Development of Sayang Ibu : An Emergency Call Application for Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Maternal mortality still becomes a problem in many countries, especially in Indonesia. In 2015, Indonesia s maternal mortality rate had reached 305 per 1000 births, numbers that were still far from the SDG’s target. This problem specifically caused by high-risk pregnancy, such as late awareness of pregnancy warning signs, delayed referral, and delayed therapy.Aims: This research aimed to develop an information system that can reduce emergency treatment time named “Sayang Ibu” application. Settings and Design: The research methods usedwere divided into three steps. The first step was the need’s assessment, the second was the development framework, and the third was the development of the emergency call application.Methods: This research was carried outfrom April until October 2019 in Semarang City, Indonesia. The first step was a mix of methods using a questionnaire and in-depth interview. The second step was a literature review approach, and the third step was the development of the Sayang Ibu prototype. Results: Based on the current research, both pregnant women and midwives did need emergency call applications to reduce long-time referrals and prevent delays. Not all pregnant women knew about pregnancy risks. Many pregnant women also did not understand what they should do if they experienced pregnancy warning signs and where they should go. Many features should be included in the application, such as emergency button, information about pregnancy warning signs, personal medical records of antenatal care, and a chat feature. SayangIbu application was developed with all of those features except the chat feature. Conclusions: Sayang Ibu application needed to be developedwith chat feature and integrated with the nearest healthcare facilities. The digital literacy of pregnant women was a need for this application functionality.