Moem. Enhancing maternity care for ethnic minorities · Cherise Brooker

Moem (Mothers of Ethnic Minorities) is a app addressing the unique maternity needs of women of colour within the UK healthcare system. The app aims to be an inclusive, empowering platform where women can personalise their maternity experience by reflecting their cultural, social, and religious needs. Moem bridges the gap between healthcare professionals and women of colour, allowing for tailored care that respects and understands their individual backgrounds and specific requirements. The need for such an app is underscored by alarming statistics from recent research. The MBRRACE-UK’s report published in November 2022 revealed that Black women are 3.7 times more likely to die during or up to a year after pregnancy compared to White women, and Asian women are 1.8 times more likely to die. Furthermore, 1 in 9 of the women who died during or up to a year after pregnancy in the UK were identified as being at severe and multiple disadvantage. These stark figures highlight the urgent need for more inclusive and culturally competent care for ethnic minority women in the UK.

The wireframing process played a pivotal role in the development of the app, as it set the stage for translating ideas into a functional and user-friendlydigital experience. Visual wireframes helped refine the app’s structure, layout, and key features, serving as the blueprint for the entire development process. The app’s core elements were put in place to ensure a seamless flow of information and interaction between users—mothers, midwives, and medical staff—while prioritising accessibility, usability, and cultural sensitivity.

To complement the promotion and outreach of the ‘moem’ maternity app, an Instagram page was proposed as the central hub for engaging directly with expectant mothers, birthing partners, and healthcare supporters in real time. Instagram was selected for its visual storytelling capabilities, its community-driven culture, and its ability to connect with diverse audiences through authentic, shareable content.