OHiFamily

Name: OHiFamily
Author: Ohio State University

Ohio State University

EVALUATED

Assessed for usability and quality

For:General Public & EnthusiastsPatients & Caregivers

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App Summary

OHiFamily is a mobile app for expecting and new parents on Medicaid in Ohio that connects them with curated local resources and health information while also providing infant care tracking tools. The app's features were developed based on qualitative feedback gathered during focus groups with its intended users (N=9). The associated research concludes that the app's unique combination of features is designed to enhance access to community resources and help address social determinants of health for this population.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed at The Ohio State University, OHiFamily is a mobile health application designed to connect expectant and new parents in Ohio with essential services. The system integrates three primary modules: an infant care log for tracking feeding and diaper changes, a library of curated educational materials, and a direct link to the Curated Ohio Resource Database (CORD). This database facilitates identification of local resources addressing social determinants of health, including housing, food access, and healthcare services.

Evidence & Research Context

The app's design is detailed in a development and usability paper based on qualitative feedback from the target user population in Ohio (N=9).
A user-centered design process was employed to address social determinants of health for expectant families on Medicaid who are at risk for infant mortality.
Formative evaluation through focus groups confirmed the need for an integrated mobile platform that combines a curated local resource database with educational and infant care tracking features.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is intended for expectant and new parents in Ohio, particularly those enrolled in Medicaid, as a tool to navigate and access community and health resources. Its primary utility is informational and logistical support. The app does not provide clinical diagnosis or medical advice and is not a substitute for professional healthcare consultation.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Usability Study

Development and Usability of the OHiFamily Mobile App to Enhance Accessibility to Maternal and Infant Information for Expectant Families in Ohio: Qualitative Study

Perme et al. (2023) · JMIR Formative Research

Expectant families found the app easy to use and helpful for accessing maternal and infant health resources.

Background: The Infant Mortality Research Partnership in Ohio is working to help pregnant individuals and families on Medicaid who are at risk for infant mortality and preterm birth. As part of this initiative, researchers at The Ohio State University worked to develop a patient-facing mobile app, OHiFamily, targeted toward, and created for, this population. To address the social determinants of health that can affect maternal and infant health, the app provides curated information on community resources, health care services, and educational materials in a format that is easily accessible and intended to facilitate contact between families and resources. The OHiFamily app includes 3 distinct features, that is, infant care logging (eg, feeding and diaper changes), curated educational resources, and a link to the curated Ohio resource database (CORD). This paper describes the development and assessment of the OHiFamily app as well as CORD. Objective: This study aimed to describe the development of the OHiFamily mobile app and CORD and the qualitative feedback received by the app's intended audience. Methods: The researchers performed a landscape analysis and held focus groups to determine the resources and app features of interest to Ohio families on Medicaid. Results: Participants from several focus groups were interested in an app that could offer community resources with contact information, information about medical providers and information and ways to contact them, health tips, and information about pregnancy and infant development. Feedback was provided by 9 participants through 3 focus group sessions. Using this feedback, the team created a curated resource database and mobile app to help users locate and access resources, as well as access education materials and infant tracking features. Conclusions: OHiFamily offers a unique combination of features and access to local resources for families on Medicaid in Ohio not seen in other smartphone apps.

In the Media

OHiFamily

The Ohio State University developed OHiFamily to help parents find community resources before, during and after pregnancy and in their baby's first year, using a card-based system that provides service descriptions, requirements, and access information. The app allows users to browse or filter resources across categories including baby needs, healthcare, childcare, housing, food, transportation, financial assistance, and legal aid. Parents can also add helpful resources themselves by creating new service cards within the app.

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