母亲项目：通过远程医疗为农村地区提供孕产妇外展服务.pdf

1、The MOTHeRS Project:Maternal Outreach through Telehealth for Rural SitesSy Atezaz Saeed,MD,MS,FACPsych,Professor and Chair EmeritusDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral MedicineFounder and Executive DirectorNorth Carolina Statewide Telepsychiatry Program(NC-STeP),andECU Center for Telepsychiatry a

2、nd e-Behavioral HealthWomen face significant challenges in accessing comprehensive,affordable,high-quality maternal and mental health care,especially in rural areas that are characterized by high unemployment,poverty,significant minority populations,and geographic barriers that complicate access to

3、care.The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified health disparities,especially in maternal health among expectant mothers in rural Eastern North Carolina.These mothers faced increased risks due to limited access to prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies,maternal-fetal medicine specialists,heightened

4、mental health issues,and the impact of social determinants of health.The MOTHeRS Project implemented a multidisciplinary telehealth service integrating maternal-fetal medicine specialists,diabetes educators,nutritionists,psychiatrists,and other health care professionals into rural obstetric clinics.

5、This model helped manage patients in clinics closer to their homes,minimized the need for travel,and brought specialized care directly to underserved communities.Implementation of telehealth services in this project reduced travel for high-risk patients by over 396,894 miles and facilitated 2,523 pa

6、tient visits,including behavioral health interventions.Moreover,the project addressed food insecurity by distributing medically-tailored food bags to high-risk pregnant women.Our experience highlights the importance of strengthening multidisciplinary care coordination,investing in human service prog