Empowering Patients at Home and Beyond with Omda Wellme
In Norway, midwives and maternity professionals have raised concerns that many expectant mothers are placing an outsized emphasis on the experiences of social media influencers (NRK). As a result, maternity specialists are expending valuable time and resources countering misinformation and resolving issues that result from it. A growing demand for unassisted home births is also being accredited to social media influence (NRK), while an unhealthy focus on weight during pregnancy is associated with the “belly-only” weight gain trend (TV2).
Patient empowerment and remote care will be key themes at the upcoming 2024 E-Health in Norway (EHiN) conference, taking place from the 12th to the 13th of November. The event will examine how digital healthcare solutions can enhance patient engagement and improve access to reliable information. Omda’s Wellme solution exemplifies this approach: a cloud-based digital pregnancy service, Omda Wellme enables expectant mothers and healthcare professionals to communicate, exchange information, and access critical health data at every stage of pregnancy. By providing remote access to trusted maternity services, the solution empowers women to take an active, informed role in their prenatal care.
Improving access to trusted information
Patient-facing portals and solutions play a crucial role in countering inaccurate and potentially dangerous advice often found online. This is especially important in the maternity sector, where unhelpful guidance and health trends are widespread on digital platforms. Expectant mothers are understandably concerned and eager for guidance, often turning to social media as the most accessible source of information. The most effective solution, therefore, is to provide easy access to trustworthy, accurate resources. By breaking down barriers to communication and information-sharing between mothers and trained healthcare professionals, remote patient care solutions can bridge this gap.
Omda Wellme – simplified communication and knowledge sharing
Omda Wellme is instrumental in connecting expectant mothers with maternity specialists and information they can trust. Two features in particular help counter misinformation and concerning social media trends.
- Simplified communication – Omda Wellme helps individuals connect with healthcare professionals quickly, easily and with minimal fuss, enabling them to reach out when they have concerns and eliminating the reliance on informal, inaccurate sources.
- Self-serve guidance and advice resources – Omda Wellme includes a comprehensive knowledge base that enables expectant parents to conduct independent research and seek out trusted medical advice and information.
These two features are notable for the direct impact they can have on countering misinformation. However, Omda Wellme as a whole is designed to engage expectant mothers in their care and encourage a sense of active participation and involvement. It achieves this with the following features:
- Home, remote patient monitoring enables mothers to enter data in real-time, helping healthcare professionals keep up-to-date with developments between appointments and alerting them to any concerning developments earlier.
- Access to patient healthcare data. Women can access data relating to their pregnancy easily through the portal. This is particularly important, as when we are worried or anxious, we tend to try to fill gaps in our knowledge, even if that means turning to information we know is not necessarily trustworthy.
- Calendar and appointment functionality helps individuals keep track of their engagements and arrange time with maternity professionals.
- Easy access to healthcare questionnaires that enable individuals to contribute information regarding their pregnancy.
As well as creating a more detailed and regular account of pregnancy progression, Omda Wellme aims to tackle the alienation and powerlessness many mothers feel when moving through the maternity system. It seeks to empower them with reliable information, provide opportunities for greater participation in their care and provide them with a means of expressing themselves, their doubts and their questions. In doing so, it plays a crucial role in tackling the increasingly problematic influence of digital misinformation.
Omda Wellme at EHiN 2024
The Omda Woman & Child team will attend the EHiN conference from the 12th to the 13th of November, 2024, where we will showcase Omda Wellme and be available to discuss its application in modern maternity systems. We will be based at Stand C1. If you’d like to prearrange a meeting, please get in touch via the contact details below or click here to see the EHiN info page.
