Digital Women’s Health Innovation

The Research Centre for Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ResCOG) aims at positioning its research group among the best in Norway within the development of public healthcare-integrated digital solutions for women’s health following pregnancy complications. Two of our current research projects are developing and testing home-monitoring applications that will facilitate patient care, empowerment and follow-up outside the hospital.

The HOME project is directed to high-risk pregnancies (e.g., preeclampsia or gestational hypertension) which have a need for closer clinical follow-up during pregnancy. The pregnant woman receives medical devices that measures foetal heart beats and uterine contractions (CTG-cardiotocography), blood pressure and infection measurements (blood-based CRP and body temperature). A digital communication system is provided through the Dignio app system. The devices readings are evaluated the Department of Obstetrics. We will investigate whether home monitoring of risk pregnancy groups is technically feasible, safe, beneficial for the users (pregnant women and healthcare personnel) and cost-effective. Also, the study generates opportunities for better personalised fetal surveillance with automated CTG  evaluations combined with placental health biomarker measurements.

The MumCare project has developed a new app for mobile telephone use, first of its kind globally, that aims at supporting women’s cardiovascular health after pregnancy complications (e.g., hypertensive disorder and/or gestational diabetes mellitus). The new app will be tested in a randomised clinical study, recruiting ongoing or recent pregnant women which have been diagnosed with these pregnancy complications. The participants assigned to the “treatment” arm receive access to the MumCare smartphone app where they can register own modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (e.g., blood pressure, physical activity, weight, blood sugar, smoking, etc). The app aims to reduce the gap between hospital deliveries and community health follow-up (at general practitioner). Patient-reported outcomes as well as objective cardiovascular function and biomarkers will be assessed at 1–1.5 years postpartum.