Remote Obstetric Anesthesia: Leveraging Telemedicine to Improve Fetal and Maternal Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Anesthesiology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Maternal mortality in the U.S. has increased over the last two decades.
• High-risk pregnancies necessitate pre-delivery anesthesia consultation for optimal outcomes.
• Access to specialized obstetric anesthesia care is limited, particularly outside major urban centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on telemedicine in preoperative anesthesia and antenatal obstetrics.
• To identify research gaps in telemedicine for obstetric anesthesia.
• To discuss the benefits and barriers of implementing telemedicine for obstetric anesthesia.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing studies on telemedicine in anesthesia and obstetrics.
• Analysis of benefits and challenges associated with telemedicine implementation in obstetric anesthesia.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine can facilitate evaluation, triage, and coordination for high-risk obstetric patients.
• Existing literature on telemedicine in obstetric anesthesia is limited, indicating a need for further research.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine offers a viable solution to improve access to specialized obstetric anesthesia care for remote and rural populations.
• Further research is needed to fully understand and optimize the implementation of telemedicine programs in obstetric anesthesia.