Denmark phases out paper maternity records for digital app

Denmark has ended the use of the iconic yellow paper maternity record, replacing it with a digital app called “Min fødsel” (My Birth) across all birthing units as of 2 June, national broadcaster DR reports.

Many women had kept their paper records as keepsakes, a factor that chief midwife Marie Krag of Viborg Regional Hospital cited as one reason for the slow transition to digital. The shift involved coordinating multiple professional groups and integrating various healthcare IT systems.

Line Abild Weldingh, a mother expecting her second child, said she had stored her first paper record in a drawer and admitted to forgetting it for recent appointments. She does not see the paper version as essential.

Vice chief midwife Tinna Rimmer Justesen of Hjørring Regional Hospital said the digital system improves patient safety by ensuring healthcare providers have easier access to information, removing the burden on expectant mothers to carry their records.