The Use of Mobile Health Applications in Midwifery and Nursing: A Systematic Review of Theses

Öz

Objective: This study aims to systematically examine postgraduate theses on the use of mobile health applications in the fields of midwifery and nursing in Türkiye. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive study was conducted by searching the National Thesis Center database of the Council of Higher Education using the keywords “mobile health,” “mobile application,” and “digital health.” A total of 45 theses (11 master’s and 34 doctoral), completed between 2020 and 2025, meeting the inclusion criteria and available in full text were included. Among these, 5 were descriptive, while 40 were quasi-experimental or randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Results: The examined theses indicate that mobile health applications provide multifaceted support in midwifery and nursing, particularly in patient education, monitoring, and clinical decision-making processes. In midwifery, mobile health technologies were found to be effective in prenatal and postnatal follow-up, lactation counseling, and childbirth education, while in nursing, they supported chronic disease management, patient safety, and telehealth services. These applications were shown to improve the quality of patient care, reduce the workload of healthcare professionals, and enhance access to health services. However, several theses also emphasized significant challenges such as data security, patient privacy, technical limitations, and user compliance. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that mobile health applications are becoming increasingly prevalent in midwifery and nursing, playing a significant role in the digital transformation of healthcare services. For more effective use of these technologies, user-friendly designs should be developed, and further research should be conducted to assess their long-term impact.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mobile Health
• Mobile Applications
• Midwifery
• Nursing
• Digital Health

Mobil Sağlık Uygulamalarının Ebelik ve Hemşirelik Alanındaki Kullanımı: Tezler Üzerine Sistematik Bir Derleme

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de ebelik ve hemşirelik alanında mobil sağlık uygulamalarının kullanımına yönelik yapılan lisansüstü tezlerin sistematik olarak incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışma retrospektif, kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı tasarıma sahiptir. Yükseköğretim Kurulu Ulusal Tez Merkezi veri tabanında, “mobil sağlık”, “mobil uygulama” ve “dijital sağlık” anahtar kelimeleri kullanılarak tarama yapılmıştır. Dahil edilme kriterlerine uygun, tam metnine ulaşılabilen ve 2020-2025 yılları arasında tamamlanmış 45 tez (11 yüksek lisans, 34 doktora) değerlendirmeye alınmıştır. Tezlerin 5’i tanımlayıcı, 40’ı ise yarı deneysel ve randomize kontrollü çalışma niteliğindedir. Bulgular: İncelenen tezler, mobil sağlık uygulamalarının ebelik ve hemşirelik alanlarında hasta eğitimi, izlem ve klinik karar verme süreçlerini destekleme gibi çok yönlü katkılar sunduğunu göstermektedir. Özellikle ebelik alanında doğum öncesi ve sonrası takip, laktasyon danışmanlığı ve doğum eğitimi konularında; hemşirelikte ise kronik hastalık yönetimi, hasta güvenliği ve tele-sağlık hizmetlerinde mobil sağlık çözümlerinin etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Çalışmalar, mobil uygulamaların hasta bakım kalitesini artırdığını, sağlık çalışanlarının iş yükünü hafiflettiğini ve sağlık hizmetlerine erişimi kolaylaştırdığını ortaya koymaktadır. Ancak bazı tezlerde, veri güvenliği, hasta mahremiyeti, teknik sınırlamalar ve kullanıcı uyumu gibi faktörlerin mobil uygulamaların etkin kullanımını etkileyen önemli unsurlar olduğu vurgulanmıştır. Sonuç:Bulgular, mobil sağlık uygulamalarının ebelik ve hemşirelik alanında giderek yaygınlaştığını ve sağlık hizmetlerinin dijitalleşmesinde önemli bir rol oynadığını göstermektedir. Bu teknolojilerin daha etkin kullanımı için kullanıcı dostu tasarımlar geliştirilmesi ve uzun vadeli etkilerinin değerlendirilmesine yönelik daha fazla araştırma yapılması gerekmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Mobil sağlık
• Mobil Uygulamalar
• Ebelik
• Hemşirelik
• Dijital Sağlık

Kaynakça

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