C-Section Recovery At Home Mobile App

UX, UI, Product

A mobile app that supports women who are recovering from a c-section delivery at home.

The Problem

C-section delivery patients are overwhelmed by their new reality because they are responsible for their new baby while also recovering from major surgery at home.

How might we help patients manage expectations about their body and mind while recovering at home from a c-section delivery?

Research Objectives

Understand what is communicated to the patient about the procedure and recovery
Identify what causes the physical pain and discomfort
Identify what causes the emotional pain or distress
Identify what needs to be monitored during the 6-8 weeks post-op procedure and their new situation

Purpose + Business Objectives

Improve the recovery and stability of the patient
Help the patient feel ready and comfortable to go home
Allow the hospital to provide better care throughout the whole
patient journey, from pre-op through recovery

The Process

What is a Cesarean Section Delivery?

Cesarean Section Delivery, commonly known as C-section delivery, is a surgery to deliver a baby. An incision, approximately six inches long, is made on the lower abdomen to the uterus and the baby is delivered through this.

Who’s Involved?

While the patient is at the center of this and always comes first. This affects many different stakeholders directly and indirectly, especially their immediate family and new baby. Many c-section patients need external physical and emotional support for many weeks once they arrive home from the hospital.

Patient's Journey

The Patients’ Perspective

The Clinician’s Perspective

I interviewed two OB/GYNs. Each of them took me through the pre, during, and post-op experience of c-section deliveries, how they communicate new information to the patients, and what typically happens after the patients are sent home.

Competitive Research

There are only a few resources available specifically for c-section deliveries. Flo My Health & Period Tracker is the most popular in the category and has the most features available but does not include C-Section specific education or support. There are only two that really catered toward c-sections specifically. One is C-Care and it seems not current or popular. The other is Reddit, which has multiple forums for c-section patients. Additionally, only two apps connected the user to clinical professionals. MyChart, Epic’s patient-facing EHR app, is a patient-facing electronic health record app. This is the only app that connects you to your own doctor, which is crucial to getting the best care.

Overall, each app focuses on different features, and there is not one app that has a holistic approach to support the body and mind and also communicates this to your doctor.

Key Insights

Proposed Solution: An Integrated App

The app will monitor key items relating to a patient's c-section procedure and is connected to the patient’s existing charting system. Being able to track your recovery from home brings the patient peace of mind and helps them feel supported from a distance. Additionally, having a connection to your own clinicians and medical is crucial for streamlining care.

Key Features