It’s the latest in a series of updates driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted the biggest shift in prenatal care delivery since the current model first took shape back in the 1930s. Among other considerations, the document offers practical, sustainable guidance for implementing PATH (Plan for Appropriate Tailored Healthcare in Pregnancy), a set of recommendations developed by experts from ACOG and the University of Michigan. PATH supports more personalized prenatal care through alternative models like group-based visits and virtual solutions such as remote blood pressure monitoring.
[Read: ACOG Releases New Pregnancy Prenatal Care Recommendations]
The consensus emphasizes personalized care that reflects both medical realities and lived experiences.
Read our highlights below:
From the very first prenatal visit, providers are encouraged to take a 360-degree look at a patient’s health—not just medically, but mentally, socially, and structurally.
This includes:
Tools that screen for social and structural drivers of health (SSDoH) are key to this process. Prenatal care should address the daily challenges that affect health and access, as well as clinical needs.
The consensus emphasizes shared decision making, where the patient is an informed partner in care planning.
This means:
Care should be clinically sound, but also respectful, relevant, and empowering.
The document supports the use of alternative care models, especially for patients with low-risk pregnancies or those facing barriers to frequent in-person visits. The holistic approach to care delivery recommended by the consensus should result in a more responsive, flexible care schedule that takes into account the patient’s need or ability to attend traditional appointments:
"Potential care adjustments include 1) tailored visit schedules (vs traditional) streamlined around needed education and services; 2) telemedicine (vs in-person care) where possible to reduce travel burden, need for childcare, or time away from work; and 3) group prenatal care (vs individual care, ideally in the individual's native language) to address social isolation and low health literacy."
Traditionally, prenatal care has meant 12 to 14 in-person visits. But this consensus calls for a reevaluation. Visit schedules can and should be adjusted based on clinical needs and personal preferences. For someone with a low-risk pregnancy and reliable access to virtual care, fewer visits may be completely appropriate—especially if those visits are more comprehensive and person-centered.
The authors also note that in cases where patients are struggling with access to care issues, additional visits are unlikely to help but instead might increase the burden on patients.
Flexible care doesn’t mean less care—it means smarter, more accessible care.
Read the full clinical consensus here.