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  • iContraception®: a software tool to assist professionals in choosing contraceptive methods according to WHO medical eligibility criteria

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Education & training
iContraception®: a software tool to assist professionals in choosing contraceptive methods according to WHO medical eligibility criteria
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  1. Ramón Guisado Lopez1,
  2. Isabel Ramirez Polo2,
  3. Jose Eduardo Arjona Berral3,
  4. Julia Guisado Fernandez4,
  5. Camil Castelo-Branco5
  1. 1Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Obstetrica y Ginecología del Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
  2. 2Consultant in Family Medicine, Servicio de Salud Pública, Unidad de Gestión Clínica Cayetano Roldán, San Fernando, Cádiz, Spain
  3. 3Associate Professor, Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Service, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Obstetríca y Ginecología del Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
  4. 4Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Servicio de Obstetricia y Ginecologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
  5. 5Full Professor, Head of the Endocrinological Gynecology Unit, Clinic Institute of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology-Hospital Clinic; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
  1. Correspondence to Dr Camil Castelo-Branco, Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatología, Hospital Clínic, Villarroel 170, Barcelona 08036, Spain; castelobranco{at}ub.edu

Abstract

Objective To design software to assist health care providers with contraceptive counselling.

Methods The Model-View-Controller software architecture pattern was used. Decision logic was incorporated to automatically compute the safety category of each contraceptive option. Decisions are made according to the specific characteristics or known medical conditions of each potential contraception user. The software is an app designed for the iOS and Android platforms and is available in four languages. iContraception® facilitates presentation of visual data on medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive treatments.

Results The use of this software was evaluated by a sample of 54 health care providers. The general satisfaction with the use of the app was over 8 on a 0–10 visual analogue scale in 96.3% of cases.

Conclusions iContraception provides easy access to medical eligibility criteria of contraceptive options and may help with contraceptive counselling.

  • counselling
  • education and training
  • family planning service provision
  • reproductive health politics
  • needs assessment

https://doi.org/10.1136/jfprhc-2014-100966

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      British Medical Journal Publishing Group
      BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health 2015; 41 79-80 Published Online First: 20 Mar 2015. doi: 10.1136/jfprhc-2015-101213