Personalized options are helping improve care during pregnancy.
Understanding Prenatal Care
Prenatal care is one of the most common preventative services in the United States and plays a crucial role in the well-being of pregnant women and their children. Early and regular checkups can ensure both the patient and her baby are healthy, prevent and treat any problems, and provide education on what to expect before, during, and after birth.
New Solutions
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently released a clinical consensus titled “Tailored Prenatal Care Delivery for Pregnant Individuals,” which details ways that providers can improve upon the prenatal patient experience and personalize care. These advancements include:
Virtual Offerings
Providers can combine in-person and virtual appointments, or telemedicine, according to their patient’s needs and stage of pregnancy, allowing women to conveniently receive care from the comfort of home.
Shared Decision-Making
During initial visits, providers can learn their patient’s preferences and encourage patients to participate in creating a personalized care plan informed by a comprehensive prenatal assessment.
Personalized Visits
Tailoring visit frequency and appointment lengths can ensure patients have time to ask questions and leave feeling confident in their care plan. To further improve the patient experience, practices can assign a designated member of the care team to work with each patient and guide her on what to expect at each appointment.
Comprehensive Care
In addition to a full range of OB/GYN services, providers can take an approach that looks at all aspects of well-being, such as sleep, stress, diet, and exercise. These offerings can include mental health care, diet and nutrition counseling, health coaching, classes for continued education, and more.
Meet the Author
Rachel Studebaker, BA, English, Summa Cum Laude
Rachel Studebaker is a graduate of Lee University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in advertising with the distinction of summa cum laude and served as editor-in-chief of the university’s biannual magazine, The Vindagua. After graduation, Rachel joined CMC Media & Marketing Group as an editor. Today, she serves as managing editor and is responsible for leading the editorial team in the development and completion of content for 17 publications involving health & wellness, business, sports, and lifestyle published in print and online for HealthScope® and CityScope® magazines as well as Choose Chattanooga® and Choose Huntsville™ – premier publications serving Southeast Tennessee, North Georgia, and North Alabama. In addition to writing, editing, and coordinating copy, Rachel oversees networking and reputation management for the company’s publications. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, attending concerts, trying new restaurants, and traveling with her husband.
