JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mothers of sick and preterm infants need support to establish and maintain lactation. Although there are many digital applications (apps) on breastfeeding available, most of them are not appropriate to educate mothers due to their lack in evidence-based information. Furthermore, they do not focus the special situation of mother-infant separation during lactation in mothers of sick or preterm infants.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to examine the usability and perceived usefulness of the evidence-based information about lactation and documentation tools contained in the Neo-MILK app.

Methods:

Descriptive statistics are calculated for the System Usability Scale (SUS) and for self-developed items pertaining to overall satisfaction and perceived usefulness with the app. These include evidence-based information and the usability of tracking functions.

Results:

Data of 63 mothers was analyzed. The SUS shows a mean of 76.4. The overall satisfaction rate is high, with 84% of respondents indicating that they were either satisfied or very satisfied. Further, 82% would be inclined to recommend the app to other parents. On average, the evidence-based information is perceived as helpful, more detailed than and not contradictory to the information provided in the hospital. At the same time, the app users reported that the Neo-MILK app did not exert pressure to provide breast milk. About 71% used a documentation tool in the app several times a week to track their milk volume.

Conclusions:

By combining evidence-based information and useful tools to document milk volume, the Neo-MILK app is high rated in usability and perceived usefulness. For pump-dependent mothers of sick and preterm infants, this app offers a good tool for both educating and supporting them during lactation.