We fear what we don’t know, and the unknowns surrounding coronavirus are myriad. Lack of information on the nature of COVID-19 has affected pregnant women in particular, a population whose normal responses are already compromised by their unique situation.
Our clients have used our virtual care solution to communicate new and updated information about COVID-19 to their pregnant and new moms, and the near 100% engagement rates with these resources show how much patients value trusted information from their providers.
For guidance on how to support your pregnant and postpartum patients at this time, we’ve compiled a list of common topics disseminated to over 50,000 patients through our app by our clients.
Protocol Updates
Strict social-distancing measures and overburdened health workers and facilities have made organizational changes inevitable. As health systems have been forced to reschedule appointments, postpone hospital tours, and change visitation schedules, among other things, they’ve used Babyscripts to quickly and efficiently communicate changes to their patients.
Using virtual care for this type of messaging lessens the administrative burden, and also prevents miscommunication and the potential of vulnerable moms taking the risk of leaving the house for events that have been rescheduled or cancelled.
Transitions to Virtual Methods
Continuity of care is imperative in times like these — finding a way to hold events like birthing or parenting classes is important for maintaining morale as much as for promoting physical wellbeing. Many of our clients are continuing to support their mothers in these ways by moving physical events to a virtual model. Through Babyscripts, they’ve updated their patients on these changes and offered guidance on how and where to access virtual classes.
Resources for Connection
As providers are encouraged to limit non-essential appointments, maintaining social support for pregnant and new moms has become more important than ever for patients’ peace of mind. The pregnant and postpartum population is already prone to anxiety and isolation, and social-distancing and lack of face time with providers is compounding that anxiety. Babyscripts can be used to connect mothers to community resources like virtual support groups and online forums, as well as provide them real-time access to physician education resources.
Real-Time Information
The coronavirus is a dynamic disease and best practices and provider recommendations are changing every day as researchers learn more about it. For mothers who already have a lot of questions around safe practices, disseminating up to date information around the virus is essential for offering mothers the security and assurance of trusted resources.
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