Pairing Maternal Wearables with a Holistic Model of Care

Molly Guy and Chemuttaai Lang'at of Medtronic Labs in the U.S. will lead a team seeking to redefine how pregnant women manage hypertension and how clinicians remotely monitor patients' health. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy have overtaken hemorrhage as a main cause of maternal mortality in some sub-Saharan African settings. Management requires careful monitoring, which is problematic in settings with limited access to care. The team will assess integration of locally-appropriate wearable sensors into their existing hypertension management model of care. The model combines automated blood pressure monitors, mobile devices, and a software application, together allowing for data collection, real-time feedback, SMS messaging, and efficient access to referrals and prescriptions. The team will conduct a six-month pilot of 150 pregnant hypertensive women in Kenya to evaluate usability, feasibility, and desirability of this wearable-enhanced holistic care ecosystem.