Digital tools and telehealth for prenatal monitoring
Digital tools and telehealth are increasingly used to support prenatal care across diverse settings. This article outlines how remote monitoring, virtual visits, and connected devices can complement perinatal and antenatal care, support postpartum follow-up, and fit into hospitalcare, homebirth, and communitycare models while noting professional and regulatory considerations.
Digital tools and telehealth are reshaping how prenatal monitoring is delivered, offering ways to augment in-person visits with remote vital-sign tracking, symptom reporting, and virtual consultations. For clinicians and pregnant people, these technologies can provide ongoing data between appointments, improve access to antenatal expertise in underserved areas, and help coordinate perinatal and postpartum care pathways. This article reviews common device types, integration considerations for neonatal risk screening, and practical aspects for birthsupport across homebirth and hospitalcare settings.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance and treatment.
How does telehealth support prenatal and antenatal monitoring?
Telehealth enables scheduled virtual visits, remote symptom triage, and asynchronous messaging that supplements routine antenatal checkups. Video consultations can be used to review symptoms, medication adherence, and mental health concerns, while secure messaging allows quick follow-up on lab results or questions about fetal movement. For perinatal teams, telehealth can reduce travel burdens for patients and help maintain continuity of care when in-person access is limited, though in-person assessments remain essential for physical exams and interventions.
What tools aid perinatal and neonatal monitoring?
Connected devices commonly used include blood pressure cuffs, weight scales, glucose meters, and fetal dopplers designed for clinical or consumer use. Electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) platforms let expectant parents log fetal movement, contractions, or symptoms. For neonatal transition and high-risk newborns, remote monitoring can include home pulse oximetry or scheduled virtual assessments with neonatal specialists. Data accuracy, device validation, and integration with electronic health records are key factors for clinical utility.
How do telehealth solutions integrate with labor and birthsupport?
Telehealth programs can provide remote labor education, virtual birthsupport during early labor, and triage to determine when to present for in-person assessment. Real-time video can allow midwives to observe contraction patterns, advise on coping techniques, or decide if transfer to a hospitalcare setting is needed. Clear protocols for escalation, reliable connectivity, and documentation practices are essential to ensure safe transitions from virtual support to hands-on care when labor progresses.
How do digital tools work for homebirth, hospitalcare, and communitycare?
In homebirth and communitycare contexts, portable monitoring devices and scheduled telehealth check-ins can enhance surveillance between clinic visits. In hospitalcare systems, telemonitoring platforms can aggregate remote patient data to flag trends that warrant earlier intervention. Coordination between community providers and hospitals is necessary for handoffs and emergency planning. Equity considerations—such as device access, broadband availability, and digital literacy—should guide program design so telehealth complements rather than replaces in-person care.
What are licensure, certification, and continuingeducation considerations?
Providers should verify licensure and scope of practice for telehealth across jurisdictions; requirements vary for cross-state or cross-country care. Certification or training in telehealth best practices and device interpretation is increasingly available as part of continuingeducation for midwives and perinatal clinicians. Programs should include privacy, informed consent, and documentation training. Employers and clinicians should also consider credentialing policies when integrating third-party telehealth platforms into clinical workflows.
| Provider Name | Services Offered | Key Features/Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Babyscripts | Remote prenatal monitoring platform | Integrates home blood pressure and weight data with clinician dashboards; pregnancy-specific education content |
| Maven Clinic | Virtual care for reproductive and perinatal health | On-demand teleconsultations with specialists, care navigation, and asynchronous messaging |
| Amwell (American Well) | Telehealth platform used by health systems | Video visits, EHR integrations, and support for maternal-fetal medicine consultations |
| Ovia Health | Pregnancy and family health app | Symptom tracking, education, and aggregate analytics to support care teams |
Conclusion
Digital tools and telehealth offer a range of options to support prenatal monitoring, from device-assisted vital-sign tracking to virtual consultations and education. Successful implementation depends on validated devices, clear clinical protocols for escalation to in-person care, attention to licensure and training, and equitable access for patients across communitycare, homebirth, and hospitalcare settings. As technologies evolve, they are best used to complement traditional perinatal care pathways and support safe outcomes across the prenatal and postpartum periods.
