New Research Shows Technology Reduces In-person Visits During Pregnancy
A George Washington University study found use of the Babyscripts virtual care platform reduced in-person prenatal care visits while maintaining patient and provider satisfaction.
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Babyscripts, the leading virtual care platform for managing obstetrics, reduces in-person prenatal care visits while maintaining patient and provider satisfaction, according to research published today by physician researchers from the George Washington University (GW). The paper, "A Mobile Prenatal Care App to Reduce In-Person Visits: Prospective Controlled Trial," was published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth.
The study included two groups with a total of 88 participants, with one group prescribed the Babyscripts program to manage their pregnancy. Eligible participants were pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 40 considered to be low-risk: that is, a singleton pregnancy with no previous diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, renal disease, collagen vascular disease, maternal substance abuse, or other previously documented condition that could potentially lead to a poor pregnancy outcome. Despite significant differences in the amount of face to face visits with their providers — patients who used the Babyscripts program saw their OBGYN an average of 7.8 times while patients who did not use Babyscripts saw their OBGYN an average of 10.2 times — there was no statistical difference in patient or provider satisfaction in either group.
"The positive results of this study are a huge validation of our belief in the power of technology to support mothers and providers without compromising quality, " said Anish Sebastian, co-founder and CEO of Babyscripts. "This research shows that mobile health has the potential to deliver precision care to mothers while allowing providers to allocate time to the most vulnerable of their patients, and ultimately save lives."
Kathryn Marko, MD, first author of the paper and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, echoed these statements: "Prenatal care is one of the most widely utilized preventative health care services, however there is little research on the effectiveness of standard prenatal care," said Marko. "We wanted to reevaluate the model for low-risk pregnancies and see if a mobile prenatal app could remove barriers to access and reduce the burden on patients and the health care system."
"Pregnancy looks different for every mother, but prenatal care is still being delivered through a one-size-fits-all-approach — even though it has nonsignificant effects on outcomes and leaves massive gaps in care," said Juan Pablo Segura, President and co-founder of Babyscripts. "We saw the ways that mobile tech was transforming disease management, and applied the same concepts to pregnancy care. We developed Babyscripts to disrupt the outdated template model, and this research study shows that our vision for risk-specific, continuous care through tech works."
In addition to Marko and Meltzer, the GW research team included Nancy D. Gaba, MD, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Nihar Ganju, MD, director of digital health at Advantia Health; Joshua J. Benham, MD, physician at Sutter West Bay Medical Group; and Lorna M. Richards, MA, clinical research director at Inova Health System.
Babyscripts has spent the last four years building a clinically-validated, virtual care platform to allow OBGYNs to deliver a new model of prenatal care. Using internet-connected devices for remote monitoring, Babyscripts offers risk-specific experiences to allow providers to manage up to 90% of pregnancies virtually, allowing doctors to detect risk more quickly and automate elements of care.
About Babyscripts
Babyscripts™ is a new model for prenatal and postpartum care that is transforming the way expectant mothers use technology to work with their OBGYN practice. It's the first mobile, clinical solution to provide remote monitoring of an obstetrician's patient population while directly improving patient satisfaction and practice reimbursement.
About the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Founded in 1824, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was the first medical school in the nation's capital and is the 11th oldest in the country. Working together in our nation's capital, with integrity and resolve, the GW SMHS is committed to improving the health and well-being of our local, national and global communities. smhs.gwu.edu
SOURCE Babyscripts
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