The Apgar score is a test given to newborns soon after birth. This test checks a baby’s heart rate, muscle tone, and other signs to see if extra medical care or emergency care is needed. Babies usually get the test twice: 1 minute after birth, and again 5 minutes after they’re born. If there are concerns, a baby may get the test again. The Apgar score measures five things to check a baby’s health. Each is scored on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being the best score:
Accurately assessing the APGAR scale at each step can be challenging due to subtle differences in newborns’ appearance, movements and posture. Medical staff need a quick, reliable way to score the newborn’s activity without missing important signs.
During the survey response process, the application uses simple illustrative graphics and clear concise text to communicate concepts. Color and symbology are reduced to remove distraction. The large panels afford touch zones with minimal risk of error in selecting the incorrect response. By reducing ambiguity in scoring, the app supports consistency in assessments and accuracy across providers.
Presenting a clear and actionable prognosis based on the Apgar score can be complex, as healthcare providers need an immediate understanding of the newborn’s health status without sifting through detailed scoring criteria.
The prognosis page simplifies results with a concise visual summary. It helps to support quick interpretation, reducing decision time and enabling faster response in cases requiring immediate intervention, ultimately improving neonatal care quality.
In many delivery wards today, bedside nurses are using pen and paper to record first health indicators of newborns. Devices in the delivery ward can also be distracting or detracting from the birthing experience for new parents.
The APGAR Pro app is concepted as a hybrid webapp. In this example we have shown it as a standalone phone application, but it could alternatively be presented as an embedded app within an AHR application. It could afford the user the ability to save drafted scores with a name (if known), and revisit them later, to attach them to an electronic chart once available.
I truly enjoyed working with Rach. She was always available for questions when I needed answers or guidance around our software's UI/UX work. She was a very innovative co-worker in finding new and easier ways of completing work that needed to be done. I know her team absolutely adored her for her passion and commitment to the company and them individually. I hope I get a chance to work with her again in the future!
