title: Reaching women through health information technology: the Gabby preconception care system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have endorsed the concept of preconception care (PCC). New tools must be developed to promote PCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Development and testing of a health information technology system to provide PCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  An urban safety net hospital and an urban university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community recruitment of 31 women in focus groups and 15 women participating in observed usability testing; 9 students recruited from the Office of Minority Health Preconception Peer Educators program participated in pilot testing for 2 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online interactive animated character ("Gabby") designed to identify and modify preconception risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative transcripts, preconception risk assessment, server data for system usage, self-administered satisfaction surveys, and follow-up phone calls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive statistics of subjects' demographics, satisfaction, PCC risks, and system usage. Transcripts coded using NVIVO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects (n = 24) reported an average of 23 preconception risks; in the pilot, 83% of risks added to the "My Health To-Do List" were addressed by the subject. Seventy-three percent of risks identified as contemplative progressed to action or maintenance. Differences were noted in effectiveness of the system based on initial stage of change for each risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that the PCC system could be effective in influencing positive behavior change. Adding stage of change-focused functionality might have added benefits. This system has great potential to assist in the delivery of PCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Boston Medical Center, 1 BMC Place, Boston, MA 02118, USA. paula.gardiner@bmc.org
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: Megan B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hempstead
authors.forename: Lazlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ring
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bickmore
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yinusa-Nyahkoon
authors.forename: Huong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paasche-Orlow
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Damus
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jack
mesh_terms: D001900:Boston; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016742:Preconception Care; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface