Addressing Disparities in Prenatal Care via Telehealth During COVID-19: Prenatal Satisfaction Survey in East Harlem.

In the setting of an inner city, safety net hospital, patient satisfaction with prenatal care conducted via telehealth was compared with in-person visits at the height of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Through this cross-sectional study, patients were identified who received at least one televisit and one in-person visit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) survey was used to measure patient satisfaction. Surveys pertaining to in-person and televisits were conducted at the end of a telephone encounter, and overall satisfaction scores were documented. Patients were excluded if they received in-person or virtual care only and not both. The SAPS score correlated with the degree of patient satisfaction. A total of 140 patients were identified who received both virtual and in-person prenatal care from March 1, 2020 to May 1, 2020. One hundred and four patients (74%) agreed to be surveyed: 77 (74%) self-identified as Hispanic and 56 (54%) stated that their primary language was Spanish. The overall median satisfaction score for televisits and in-person visits was 20 (interquartile range [IQR]: 20, 25) and 24 (IQR: 22, 26) (p = 0.008, Z score = 2.651). In patients who self-identified as Hispanic or identified their primary language as Spanish, there was no statistically significant difference in their satisfaction scores. While there were lower scores in patient satisfaction for televisits in every category, there were no clinically significant differences since all medians were in the "satisfied" range. By lowering patient exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), especially for those at risk for reduced access to care and higher COVID-19 cases by zip code, telehealth allowed for appropriate continuation of satisfactory prenatal care with no impact on patient perceived satisfaction of care. · Telehealth allowed for continuation of satisfactory prenatal care in Hispanic patients.. · Hispanic patients are at risk for reduced access to care.. · Telehealth was a useful tool for achieving patient-perceived satisfactory care..

Futterman I ，Rosenfeld E ，Toaff M ，Boucher T ，Golden-Espinal S ，Evans K ，Clare CA ... -  《-》

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 《-》

Patient Perspectives on Audio-Only Virtual Prenatal Visits Amidst the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic.

Holcomb D ，Faucher MA ，Bouzid J ，Quint-Bouzid M ，Nelson DB ，Duryea E ... -  《-》

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 ... -  《-》

Adherence and acceptability of telehealth appointments for high-risk obstetrical patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Jeganathan S ，Prasannan L ，Blitz MJ ，Vohra N ，Rochelson B ，Meirowitz N ... -  《-》