Virtual prenatal care worked during the pandemic

July 31, 2023

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente published research in JAMA Network Open on the outcomes of over 150,000 pregnancies that either had almost all prenatal care delivered in person (July 2018 to February, 2020), had virtual visits for a portion of their pregnancy (delivered March, 2020 to December 2020), or had as many visits as possible virtually (delivered December, 2020 to October, 2021). Pregnant women continued to come to medical facilities for ultrasounds and periodic physical exams in all three time periods.

The good news -- it does not appear that transitioning some visits to the virtual setting led to worse outcomes. This was an observational study, and COVID in pregnancy could well have led to worse outcomes during the two time periods of the pandemic.

Even in those who delivered during the third period, on average 79% of the prenatal visits were in-person during the pandemic – so this is not a study of eliminating in-person prenatal care.

Source: Ferrara, A JAMA Network Open July 18, 2023 LINK

Implications for employers:

• Virtual visits can dramatically increase access; they now make up the majority of mental health visits.

• This research supports the use of digital maternity solutions to supplement in-person care.

• For many conditions, a combination of virtual and in-patient care will allow more convenience and efficiency without sacrificing quality and safety.

• Many pregnant women in rural areas have to travel an hour or more to get to a health care facility, and this could get worse.  Allowing more prenatal visits to be virtual can save them time and increase adherence to recommended touchpoints.

Coming Tuesday:   Exercise prevents heart disease whether it is daily or limited to weekends

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