Beyond the Clinic Door: Designing Compassionate Digital Support After Early Pregnancy Loss Through the Experiences of Patients, Partners and Maternity Professionals

Yu Jiaoyang; M. Fauzi Nasution; Qori Fadillah

doi:10.61919/gq1vhn70

Authors

Yu Jiaoyang Universitas Prima Indonesia, Indonesia Author
M. Fauzi Nasution Universitas Prima Indonesia, Indonesia Author
Qori Fadillah Universitas Prima Indonesia, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61919/gq1vhn70

Keywords:

early pregnancy loss; miscarriage; digital health; compassionate care; maternity care; partners; qualitative research

Abstract

Background: Early pregnancy loss can generate substantial emotional, informational, and relational needs that persist beyond acute clinical management, while digital support may provide continuity of care if it remains sensitive, clinically credible, and connected to professional services. Objective: To explore how patients, partners, and maternity professionals conceptualized compassionate digital support following early pregnancy loss and to identify stakeholder-informed requirements for an appropriate digital support pathway. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design informed by an interpretive orientation was used. The analytic dataset comprised 15 participant profiles, including seven patients, four partners, and four maternity professionals. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis with deliberate comparison across stakeholder groups. Results: Four interrelated themes were developed: recognition before information; staged, clinically anchored guidance; inclusion of partners without displacing the patient; and human connection, choice, and escalation as safety functions. Participants did not consider a fully automated application or static information portal sufficient. They favored a digitally enabled pathway that acknowledged the loss before providing information, adapted content to different stages of recovery, allowed control over notifications and potentially triggering material, provided separate support for partners without compromising patient privacy, and maintained clear routes to professional assistance when physical or psychological concerns escalated. Conclusion: Compassionate digital support following early pregnancy loss should be conceptualized as a relational extension of existing maternity and follow-up care rather than a substitute for healthcare professionals. Future co-design and feasibility studies should evaluate the acceptability, usability, emotional safety, accessibility, and clinical governance of stakeholder-informed digital support pathways

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