What the study found
The SIMG, a web-based telehealth tool for pregnant women, showed marginal usability and suboptimal uptake in this pilot study. Most participants said they would be willing to use it in a future pregnancy, but actual use was limited.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that telehealth tools like SIMG may help support prenatal care by enabling remote monitoring and earlier detection of warning signs. They also say successful use depends on improving usability, engagement, and user confidence, especially where internet access and digital skills are limited.
What the researchers tested
The researchers piloted the Integrated Pregnancy Monitoring System (SIMG), which uses expert systems, decision trees, and risk calculators for surveillance and clinical decision-making during pregnancy and postpartum monitoring. Between October and November 2022, they contacted 111 participants from the REBRACO study, asked them to complete the System Usability Scale (SUS), and conducted telephone interviews; they also analyzed uptake and factors associated with usability.
What worked and what didn't
Among 54 participants included in the analysis, the mean SUS score was 67.5 out of 100, which the study classified as marginal usability. Only 40.7% scored above 70, 47.1% showed uptake as defined by registering and logging in at least once, and 52.9% used the tool more than once; however, nearly 88% said they would use it in future pregnancies.
What to keep in mind
The study was a pilot with 54 participants included in the analysis, so the findings are limited to this sample. The abstract also notes practical barriers such as limited time, lack of internet access, technological illiteracy, and possible issues in implementation procedures, but it does not report statistically significant differences in SUS scores by participant characteristics.
Key points
- The SIMG telehealth tool had a mean usability score of 67.5/100, which was classified as marginal.
- Uptake was suboptimal: 47.1% of participants registered and logged in at least once.
- Only 40.7% of participants scored above 70 on the System Usability Scale, the study's threshold for acceptable usability.
- Nearly 88% of respondents said they would use SIMG in future pregnancies.
- The abstract reports no significant differences in usability scores by participant characteristics.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- SIMG had marginal usability and low uptake among pregnant women
- Authors:
- Charles M'poca Charles, Gabriel Valente Tozatti, Cristiano Torezzan, Renato Teixeira Souza, Maria Laura Costa, José Guilherme Cecatti, Rodolfo C. Pacagnella
- Institutions:
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-02
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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