Patient Engagement Strategies to Reduce Maternal Health Disparities

Recent statistics around maternal health outcomes have revealed huge gaps in maternity care delivery, surfacing concerns about the standard model of pregnancy and postpartum care and causing many to shift their definitions of risk to include non-clinical challenges. 

Babyscripts recently hosted a conversation around health equity challenges and the role of patient engagement to reduce disparities in access and outcomes. Our product team discussed new functionalities in Babyscripts' Maternity Care Program to manage the needs of under-resourced mothers and their partners, and Dr. Mark Rosing from SBH Bronx spoke about Babyscripts' effectiveness in reaching the vulnerable population he serves. 

Here are some of the highlights:

Self-Reporting of Race & Ethnicity Data

Babyscripts recently introduced functionality for patients to input their race and ethnicity, paving the way for a more personalized patient experience and enabling data-informed product improvements. For providers, access to self-reported race and ethnicity data provides better insight into their impact on specific patient populations, and helps tailor content to engage those populations.

REMOTE MONITORING TO PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT & EQUITY

This data also provides insight into patient behavior and the effectiveness of digital health and remote monitoring for different populations. A recent study comparing remote monitoring (using Babyscripts myBloodPressure) with in-office surveillance of blood pressure in patients with pregnancy-related hypertension found that remote monitoring has the potential to promote health equity, as well as improve overall BP ascertainment rates in the 10 days following postpartum discharge:

When stratifying the primary outcome by race and randomization group, Black patients had lower rates of blood pressure ascertainment than White patients when assigned to in-office surveillance, but there was no difference in the remote management group.

A midpoint analysis of a study conducted with Babyscripts myMentalHealth showed that remote mood screening also resulted in significantly higher rates of adherence in the first and second trimesters as compared to standard methods. 

CONTENT UPDATES 

Babyscripts relies heavily on patient activity, feedback, and interest to determine enhancements to our content library. We use data insights to assess and supplement the pre-loaded content in myJourney, to ensure that we're providing dynamic and informative content to our patients. Look for these updates coming soon:

• Additional nutrition content, including simple recipes for practical application of nutritional advice
• Nutritional content specific to postpartum, on how to nourish the body after birth
• Exercise curriculum to direct and incentivize prenatal and postpartum movement

CONNECTION TO RESOURCES & BENEFITS

We heard from provider attendees that many refer their patients to community support systems to address social determinants of health risks. As a resource that patients are already using to look for answers about their pregnancy and track milestones, myJourney provides a helpful repository for information about resources and available benefits. Babyscripts also offers needs-based assessments to help providers determine which of those resources are available or most effective. 

With our WIC pre-screening tool, for example, the patient is prompted to fill out a survey collecting eligibility information including income and insurance. If the patient is determined eligible, an email is automatically sent providing info on how to find WIC locations and access resources.

CUSTOMIZABLE CAMPAIGNS

Babyscripts also enables providers to engage patients through campaigns, offering a ready-to-use campaign library while providing the flexibility for customizable campaigns, with a monthly campaign calendar designed to keep patients engaged on important issues like formula options, breastfeeding awareness, and others. Providers have the ability to opt-in to these monthly campaigns and create their own.

The success of Babyscripts' recent air quality campaigns shows us how much patients value info from their providers: 

Dr. Mark Rosing of SBH Bronx, a safety-net institution, spoke of Babyscripts' impact on patient satisfaction, engagement, and health equity.

Dr. Rosing, an advocate for patient safety and an innovator in healthcare models, was instrumental in introducing Babyscripts at SBH Bronx, which primarily serves Medicaid and Medicaid-managed care recipients. These populations face numerous challenges, including low health literacy, difficulties in accessing healthcare appointments, food deserts, and limited internet connectivity. 

• Low Health Literacy: Babyscripts serves as an accessible and user-friendly resource for patients, providing them with valuable health information in a digestible format.

• Access Barriers: Patients at SBH often face challenges in reaching healthcare appointments, sometimes taking multiple busses to get to their appointments. Babyscripts virtual solution for education and tracking data like weight and blood pressure can alleviate these access issues and ensures that providers are still receiving vital patient data even if they are not attending appointments.

• Food Deserts: For patients in areas with limited access to grocery stores, Babyscripts connects patients to SBH's safety net programs, like one that offers food services to diabetics. 

• Internet Deserts: To address the issue of limited internet connectivity, Babyscripts functions as a bridge, ensuring patients can access essential healthcare information even in areas with poor Wi-Fi or cellular connections.

Patients in the Bronx, on average, perform worse in healthcare measures compared to the rest of New York City and fall significantly below the state's average. Babyscripts plays a crucial role in mitigating these disparities by offering a reliable source of clinical information, preventing patients from turning to potentially unreliable sources on the internet.

Babyscripts not only provides health information but also connects patients to essential resources. This includes information about accessing video visits and introducing patients to various telehealth support programs. This was especially important during the COVID pandemic, and has remained a helpful tool.

Perhaps one of the most significant impacts of Babyscripts at SBH is its role as a digital front door to patients, unifying their healthcare experience and connecting them to other platforms and resources offered by the health system. 

A LOOK AHEAD

Babyscripts' product vision is shaped by the journey of mothers and their healthcare providers, with a focus on providing a safer and better healthcare journey. Our current development is focused on delivering guided content fully tailored to the individual and their risks -- that means identifying patient needs and risks and tailoring a journey to address these factors effectively.

Our current product roadmap includes development of an engine for improved risk identification that will identify potential for complications early in a patient's journey. By delivering relevant risk information to the right individuals and activating the care team as needed, we can address many of the preventable complications that lead to poor maternal health outcomes.

Babyscripts has already introduced functionality to tailor care, with care pathways to support specific protocols or patient goals, such as low-dose aspirin adherence and breastfeeding support. These pathways leverage an assessment engine to identify needs and guide patients towards fulfilling care standards.

Here's how the engagement process works:

• Assessment Completion: Patients have until the end of the first trimester to complete assessments that align with their office visits.

• Immediate Risk Awareness: Patients can immediately see if a potential risk is identified, prompting discussions with healthcare providers or learning about the risk.

• Sustained Engagement: Babyscripts includes sustained 'nudges' to ensure patients remain engaged with prescribed actions, including reminders to discuss with their providers or adhere to medication regimens.

With continuous product developments to address patient engagement, Babyscripts empowers healthcare providers like SBH Bronx to address disparities, engage patients, and deliver quality care that aligns with individual patient needs and preferences. 

For more, watch the full webinar recording: Patient Engagement Strategies to Address Health Disparities