JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The postpartum period represents a critical period for both birthing and non-birthing parents. Parents navigating this period are often faced with challenges such as exacerbated mental health conditions, and the complex task of adapting to new caregiving roles. Despite the presence of Collaborative Care Models (CCMs) as a strategic framework to address these multifaceted challenges of this period, the current landscape of postpartum care is fragmented. This fragmentation leads to a lack of continuity of care, failing to address the holistic needs of new parents during the postpartum period. Baby2Home (B2H) is a digital intervention rooted in the CCM, specifically designed to support parents through their transitions into parenthood by addressing their physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs. This intervention seeks to close the gaps left by traditional care models by providing continuous, organized, and accessible support throughout the postpartum period. In our qualitative study of the Baby2Home intervention, we reference the Parallel Journeys Framework and use it as part of our analysis to evaluate whether mHealth technology addresses the holistic needs (postpartum and psychosocial) of new parents. This framework assesses not only the effectiveness of the B2H app in supporting new parents but also in identifying ways in which mHealth can overcome gaps that lie at the intersection of the postpartum care and psychosocial care journeys.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to evaluate how B2H supports the holistic (postpartum and psychosocial) needs of new parents and addresses any gaps identified by parents in usual care settings.

Methods:

Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather insights from both birthing and non-birthing parents who participated in the B2H intervention. A purposive sampling technique was used, and a total of 20 parents (n=20) were selected based on their app usage. The Postpartum Parallel Journeys Framework (PPJF) was utilized as a guiding lens to organize and interpret our analyses. The phases of the PPJF were first created, after which we used an inductive, open-coding methodology for our data analysis.

Results:

Our findings demonstrate the comprehensive impact of the B2H intervention in addressing both the physical and psychosocial needs of new parents. Parents reported that the B2H app supported the postpartum care journey by: (1) helping them navigate uncertainties during the postpartum period, (2) enhancing communication and collaboration between parents and their healthcare providers, (3) promoting self-care practices, and (4) boosting parental self-efficacy. In terms of psychosocial care, the app supported parents by (5) helping them identify mental health symptoms, (6) providing timely assessments via care manager support, (7) facilitating treatment through coordinated care, and (8) offering resources for a smooth transition out of the Collaborative Care Program. Our findings also reveal several gaps identified at the intersection of the postpartum and psychosocial care journey. Parents reported ways in which the B2H intervention addresses these gaps by (1) promoting inclusivity by extending mental health support to non-birthing parents, (2) bridging the transition from screening to treatment, (3) helping parents navigate their treatment options in real-time (4) ensure continuity of care by closing the gaps caused by different endpoints in the care journey.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that the use of mHealth technology, such as the B2H app, can effectively support the multifaceted needs of new parents during their postpartum care period. By applying the Parallel Journeys Framework (PJF), the research also uncovers gaps in care addressed by the B2H app, presenting unique opportunities for future development and research. Clinical Trial: NCT05595486