Protótipo de aplicativo móvel centrado no usuário para o manejo da sífilis gestacional e congênita na atenção primária a saúde

Abstract

Introduction: Gestational and congenital syphilis is a serious public health problem in Brazil, reflecting weaknesses in prenatal care and in the appropriate clinical management provided by Primary Health Care professionals. Despite the central role of physicians and nurses in the care of pregnant women, technical gaps still favor the persistence of vertical transmission. In this context, the use of educational technologies, particularly mobile health (mHealth), is believed to be a promising strategy to improve professional practice by providing rapid and portable access to updated diagnostic and treatment guidelines across different geographic settings. Objective: To develop a prototype mobile application focused on the clinical management of gestational and congenital syphilis in Primary Health Care. Methodology: This is a methodological development study grounded in the User Centered Design (UCD) framework. The study was conducted from April 2024 to January 2026 in two phases. The first phase, focused on users and their actions, comprised three stages: a narrative review to identify syphilis-related applications available on the Play Store and App Store; an investigation with the target audience through questionnaire administration and a focus group, aiming to identify care-related difficulties and support content development; and the definition of content and visual design based on Brazilian Ministry of Health protocols. The second phase involved the development of the application prototype using the Figma platform and the presentation of the prototype to the focus group. The project was approved by an Ethics Committee under protocol no. 7,416,638. Results: The evaluated applications adopted a generalist approach, covering multiple sexually transmitted infections without exclusive focus on syphilis. Most applications were available in English and showed a lack of visual resources such as images and videos. In the investigation with Primary Health Care professionals, the sample consisted of 52 participants, including 8 physicians (15.4%) and 44 nurses (84.6%). Although most participants demonstrated good knowledge of the infection, weaknesses were identified in therapeutic management and clinical follow-up, as well as difficulties related to partner care and low treatment adherence among pregnant women. The focus group provided contributions that guided the definition of content, visual design, and functionalities, as well as the evaluation of the prototype. The development of the SIFI app resulted in sections including conceptual information, epidemiological data, clinical illustrations of syphilitic lesions, interactive diagnostic and management flowcharts, a serological calculator for therapeutic follow-up, a digital library of official protocols, and an artificial intelligence–based virtual assistant. Conclusion: The SIFI app prototype was developed and demonstrates potential to improve professional practice, support continuing health education, and reduce care-related failures associated with the management of gestational and congenital syphilis. Following validation, its applicability within Family Health care lies in supporting clinical decision-making, standardizing care practices, expanding access to updated guidelines, and strengthening prenatal care.