Digital support for the care of menopausal women in primary health care: Development and validation of an application
Ivana da Conceição Espírito Santo da Cruz, Lucas Gonçalves e Alves, Rosa Maria Esteves Moreira da Costa, Johnny Cardoso Marques, Magda Guimarães de Araujo Faria, Vera Maria Benjamim WerneckBACKGROUND:
The use of digital technologies in health has expanded, offering significant support to clinical practices, especially in Primary Health Care. This study aimed to create and validate an innovative digital tool to support primary care professionals in the care of menopausal women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
It is a multimethod study, where the first method used was applied intervention research that proposed the development of an Android mobile application for menopause management within primary care. Subsequently, a cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to validate this product.
RESULT:
The application was developed using the Flutter Flow platform, a low-code tool. This means it’s a program with a graphical interface and component additions. The application includes important tools for therapeutic management, such as: a. Health risk assessment calculators; b. Theoretical content to support care; c. Institutions for reference. Validation was performed with health professionals using the System Usability Scale (SUS) instrument, achieving an average score of 93.6, indicating excellent usability. High satisfaction (89.3) and ease of learning (96.7) rates were also observed.
CONCLUSION:
Digital tools can be strategic allies in supporting the care of menopausal women within Primary Health Care; however, those aimed at professional clinical practice and support in choosing individualized therapeutic approaches are still incipient. It is recommended that future studies explore different regional realities and evaluate the effects of using the application on care quality and health indicators, as well as the development and adoption of other similar applications that meet population needs and align with local public policies.