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American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting
June 03, 2016
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Novel prenatal care model with home monitoring improved satisfaction, reduced office visits

A new prenatal care program that decreased office visits was found to increase patient satisfaction, according to data presented at the Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“Current prenatal care adheres to a historically fixed schedule of 12 visits during pregnancy,” Yvonne S. Butler Tobah, MD, an instructor in obstetrics-gynecology at the Mayo Clinic, and colleagues wrote. “Although reduced prenatal visit bundles have been shown to be safe, patients reported diminished satisfaction and reduced quality of prenatal care.”

They studied the prenatal care model OB Nest in a randomized controlled trial at Mayo Clinic Rochester in 150 women with low-risk pregnancies.

“Traditionally, pregnancy is treated as a sickness,” Butler Tobah said in a press release from the Mayo Clinic. “We wanted our care to reflect the normal, life-bringing event that it is, and [we] looked for a way to transform prenatal care into a wellness, patient-oriented experience."

OB Nest consisted of eight scheduled office visits along with a dedicated nurse, access to an online community and home monitoring supplies for blood pressure and fetal heart rate. Usual care was defined as 12 scheduled office visits, in line with American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines.

Results showed patients who used OB Nest reported higher satisfaction with care (95% vs. 77%; P < 0.0001), decreased stress regarding pregnancy (1.34 vs. 1.41; P = 0.02) and fewer office visits (9.2 vs. 11.2; P < 0.0001).

In addition, there were no significant differences between the two groups in maternal outcomes, fetal outcomes, unplanned visits or perceived quality of care.

“This fulfills the holy grail of what patients expect today,” Abimbola Famuyide, MBBS, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and study principal investigator, said in the release. “How can we continue to improve patient experience and clinical outcomes, while, at the same time, keep costs down? Improving the patient experience, in the case of OB Nest, includes empowering expectant women to truly engage in, and take control of, their care.” – by Chelsea Frajerman Pardes

References:

Butler Tobah YS, et al. OB Nest-A Novel Approach to Prenatal Care. Presented at: the Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; May 14-17, 2016; Washington, D.C.

Disclosures: Butler Tobah reports employment with Mayo Clinic. Please see the full abstract for a complete list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.