The use of digital health technology skyrocketed during the pandemic, and the term “telehealth” followed the same trajectory, becoming a buzzword in the healthcare industry and the larger tech community over the past year. 

But what does “telehealth” really mean? 

The term has become equivalent to “video visit” — and many health systems will say they offer telehealth when in fact they simply offer synchronous video visits to replace in-person office appointments. 

In reality, telehealth is much more comprehensive.

This week, Babyscripts hosted its 4th Annual Future of Obstetrics Conference, and like most things in 2020, it looked a little different from its predecessors.

We heard the need for flexibility and accessibility, and made our conference fully virtual -- with prerecorded sessions that our clients could tune into at any time. We also limited our invites to customers-only, to truly hone in on the individual needs of our partners and offer exclusive insight into our future product roadmap.

In case you missed it:

Last week, Surgeon General VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H., issued a national Call to Action urging Americans to recognize and address hypertension control as a public health priority. The report summarizes the recent data on hypertensive disorders, identifies and promotes various strategies for improving outcomes, and provides recommendations for targeted areas of focus where resources are limited. 

This week, Babyscripts joined innovators, providers, midwives, and other stakeholders in the maternal health space for a collaboration with the Advancement League and American Health Association: "Creating an Equitable Path Forward: Maternal Health." 

50,000 women are affected by maternal complications every year and about 700 die from them. Black women are 2-3x more likely to die than white women. Significantly, many maternal health outcomes are not determined by biological or genetic dispositions.

In the face of the urgent demands of the pandemic, aided by relaxed regulations and expanded reimbursement codes, many health systems transitioned to remote care by whatever means possible, scrambling to avoid dangerous gaps in care.

This month, Million Hearts 2022, an initiative that focuses on improving the nation’s cardiovascular health, hosted a forum to explore innovative solutions for hypertension in pregnancy and postpartum.

In this week's news, policy makers weigh in on the future of reimbursement for telehealth, telemedicine, and other virtual care strategies adopted during the coronavirus pandemic. Negotiations about reimbursement raise questions about health inequities and disparities in access to virtual care solutions, particularly for the Medicaid population. Plus, new research on the connection between social determinants of health and health outcomes and the meaning of virtual care for maternal health.

In these times of uncertainty and ever-evolving policies and practices, Babyscripts is committed to sharing the benefit of our long experience in the field of innovation, specifically virtual maternity care. We’re keeping our clients and others abreast of the latest in clinical guidance, best practices, market intelligence, and other topics through our virtual care resource center (subscribe here) as well as through a webinar series with some of our large health system partners (register for our June 24 webinar with Dr. Mark B. Woodland of Tower Health System).

Babyscripts was recently privileged to present our virtual maternity care solution at Adaptation Health’s first demo day for Medicaid innovation, Responding to COVID-19 and Beyond. 

Part one of a three part series connecting Medicaid leaders with health innovators, this session focused on expanding access to maternity and behavioral care through virtual solutions for vulnerable populations. 

New expectations and standards for virtual care are being established as the healthcare marketplace emerges from pandemic conditions. Without the urgent need driven by COVID-19, questions about coverage and reimbursement for virtual care are halting the move toward standardization, and telehealth still faces barriers to wholesale adoption. Research and resources around COVID-19 continues for OB patients, reactivating GYN patients is proving challenging.

Plus, an ongoing series from Self covering the struggles of being black and pregnant in the US, and the public health crisis of black maternal mortality. Find it here.