Telehealth in Maternity Care

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Digital Health
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Obstetric care delivery systems can be fragmented, particularly in rural areas.
• There is a growing need for accessible and efficient obstetric and postpartum support.
• Telehealth offers a promising solution to bridge gaps in care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the expanding role of telehealth in obstetric care.
• To demonstrate how telehealth facilitates prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum encounters.
• To emphasize telehealth's utility in improving obstetric care quality and safety.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing various telehealth platforms for remote patient encounters.
• Facilitating team-based consultations with maternal-fetal medicine specialists.
• Leveraging telehealth for postpartum support services.

Main Results:

• Telehealth enhances the facilitation of prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care.
• It improves consultation access with maternal-fetal medicine specialists.
• Telehealth provides crucial support for postpartum breastfeeding, lactation, and depression follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Telehealth is a valuable tool for enhancing obstetric care delivery.
• It improves the quality and safety of obstetric practices, especially in underserved communities.
• Telehealth effectively addresses specific postpartum needs, improving patient outcomes.