Telehealth for High-Risk Pregnancies in the Setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As New York City became an international epicenter of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth was rapidly integrated into prenatal care at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, an academic hospital system in Manhattan. Goals of implementation were to consolidate in-person prenatal screening, surveillance, and examinations into fewer in-person visits while maintaining patient access to ongoing antenatal care and subspecialty consultations via telehealth virtual visits. The rationale for this change was to minimize patient travel and thus risk for COVID-19 exposure. Because a large portion of obstetric patients had underlying medical or fetal conditions placing them at increased risk for adverse outcomes, prenatal care telehealth regimens were tailored for increased surveillance and/or counseling. Based on the incorporation of telehealth into prenatal care for high-risk patients, specific recommendations are made for the following conditions, clinical scenarios, and services: (1) hypertensive disorders of pregnancy including preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension; (2) pregestational and gestational diabetes mellitus; (3) maternal cardiovascular disease; (4) maternal neurologic conditions; (5) history of preterm birth and poor obstetrical history including prior stillbirth; (6) fetal conditions such as intrauterine growth restriction, congenital anomalies, and multiple gestations including monochorionic placentation; (7) genetic counseling; (8) mental health services; (9) obstetric anesthesia consultations; and (10) postpartum care. While telehealth virtual visits do not fully replace in-person encounters during prenatal care, they do offer a means of reducing potential patient and provider exposure to COVID-19 while providing consolidated in-person testing and services. KEY POINTS: · Telehealth for prenatal care is feasible.. · Telehealth may reduce coronavirus exposure during prenatal care.. · Telehealth should be tailored for high risk prenatal patients..

Aziz A ，Zork N ，Aubey JJ ，Baptiste CD ，D'Alton ME ，Emeruwa UN ，Fuchs KM ，Goffman D ，Gyamfi-Bannerman C ，Haythe JH ，LaSala AP ，Madden N ，Miller EC ，Miller RS ，Monk C ，Moroz L ，Ona S ，Ring LE ，Sheen JJ ，Spiegel ES ，Simpson LL ，Yates HS ，Friedman AM ... -  《-》

Telehealth Uptake into Prenatal Care and Provider Attitudes during the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.

This study aimed to (1) determine to what degree prenatal care was able to be transitioned to telehealth at prenatal practices associated with two affiliated hospitals in New York City during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and (2) describe providers' experience with this transition. Trends in whether prenatal care visits were conducted in-person or via telehealth were analyzed by week for a 5-week period from March 9 to April 12 at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC)-affiliated prenatal practices in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visits were analyzed for maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) and general obstetrical faculty practices, as well as a clinic system serving patients with public insurance. The proportion of visits that were telehealth was analyzed by visit type by week. A survey and semistructured interviews of providers were conducted evaluating resources and obstacles in the uptake of telehealth. During the study period, there were 4,248 visits, of which approximately one-third were performed by telehealth (n = 1,352, 31.8%). By the fifth week, 56.1% of generalist visits, 61.5% of MFM visits, and 41.5% of clinic visits were performed via telehealth. A total of 36 providers completed the survey and 11 were interviewed. Accessing technology and performing visits, documentation, and follow-up using the telehealth electronic medical record were all viewed favorably by providers. In transitioning to telehealth, operational challenges were more significant for health clinics than for MFM and generalist faculty practices with patients receiving public insurance experiencing greater difficulties and barriers to care. Additional resources on the patient and operational level were required to optimize attendance at in-person and video visits for clinic patients. Telehealth was rapidly implemented in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic and was viewed favorably by providers. Limited barriers to care were observed for practices serving patients with commercial insurance. However, to optimize access for patients with Medicaid, additional patient-level and operational supports were required. · Telehealth uptake differed based on insurance.. · Medicaid patients may require increased assistance for telehealth.. · Quick adoption of telehealth is feasible..

Madden N ，Emeruwa UN ，Friedman AM ，Aubey JJ ，Aziz A ，Baptiste CD ，Coletta JM ，D'Alton ME ，Fuchs KM ，Goffman D ，Gyamfi-Bannerman C ，Kondragunta S ，Krenitsky N ，Miller RS ，Nhan-Chang CL ，Saint Jean AM ，Shukla HP ，Simpson LL ，Spiegel ES ，Yates HS ，Zork N ，Ona S ... -  《-》

Conversion and optimization of telehealth in obstetric care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When New York City became the international epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth at Columbia University Irving Medical Center was expanded in the inpatient and outpatient settings. The goals of telehealth during the pandemic were to maintain patient access to care while reducing the risk for COVID-19 exposure for patients and staff. Recommendations are made on how telehealth can be implemented and utilized to accomplish these goals. In the outpatient setting, virtual prenatal care visits and consultations can replace most in-person visits. When visitor restrictions are in effect telehealth can be used to engage support persons in the delivery room. Telehealth innovations can be leveraged to greatly improve care for COVID-19 mothers and their infants during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Zork NM ，Aubey J ，Yates H 《-》

Implementation of Obstetric Telehealth During COVID-19 and Beyond.

Fryer K ，Delgado A ，Foti T ，Reid CN ，Marshall J ... -  《-》

Prenatal neonatology telemedicine consultation for patients with fetal anomalies during the COVID-19 pandemic era: rapid implementation and lessons learned.

Bishop CE ，Jackson LE ，Vats KR ，Azzuqa AA ... -  《-》