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Article

Implementation of Virtual Antenatal and Postnatal Urgent Midwifery Visits: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Initiative

by
Nora Drummond
1,*,
Joanne Bailey
2,
Christina Majszak
2 and
Ruth Zielinski
1
1
School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
2
University of Michigan Health—Midwifery Service, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(7), 903; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070903 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 31 May 2024 / Revised: 28 June 2024 / Accepted: 5 July 2024 / Published: 10 July 2024

Abstract

Women seeking care during the perinatal period often face delays or long waits at healthcare facilities due to lack of providers and/or resources, leading to sub-optimal outcomes. We implemented a program whereby patients with concerns could receive same-day care virtually from a midwife rather than presenting to the clinic or hospital for care. Implementation strategies included virtual training, a staged increase in patient volume, and frequent communication between the midwives via text, email, and monthly meetings. Virtual visits included a variety of complaints, the five most common being to establish care, first-trimester bleeding, nausea and vomiting, mental health concerns, and postnatal breast problems. There was a threefold increase in virtual visits during the first 6 months with 92% of patients not requiring urgent face-to-face follow-up. Midwives were able to provide high-quality telehealth care that met the patients’ needs and decreased the demand on hospital-based services. With the growing ubiquity of mobile phones and internet access, this strategy may be effective in providing quality care while decreasing demands on physical infrastructure. More research is needed to assess acceptability in other contexts. Reproducibility in low-resource settings may be limited if women lack access to video conferencing on phones or laptops.
Keywords: antenatal; postnatal; urgent care; virtual visits; telehealth; midwifery antenatal; postnatal; urgent care; virtual visits; telehealth; midwifery

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MDPI and ACS Style

Drummond, N.; Bailey, J.; Majszak, C.; Zielinski, R. Implementation of Virtual Antenatal and Postnatal Urgent Midwifery Visits: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Initiative. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070903

AMA Style

Drummond N, Bailey J, Majszak C, Zielinski R. Implementation of Virtual Antenatal and Postnatal Urgent Midwifery Visits: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Initiative. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2024; 21(7):903. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070903

Chicago/Turabian Style

Drummond, Nora, Joanne Bailey, Christina Majszak, and Ruth Zielinski. 2024. "Implementation of Virtual Antenatal and Postnatal Urgent Midwifery Visits: Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Initiative" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 21, no. 7: 903. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070903

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