The United States has a significantly higher maternal mortality rate than any other developed nation in the world. Pregnancy-related mortality has increased in the US every year since 2000. Yet proper maternal health care could have prevented more than half of these tragic deaths. A new collaboration between Privia Health and Babyscripts now makes high-quality, remote pregnancy care available to more vulnerable women across the country to address the US maternal health crisis.
Social determinants of health — such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, and lack of access to appropriate prenatal care in rural and underserved urban areas — put a large section of pregnant people in the US at even higher risk than the national average, especially for Black women. In general, Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum complications than white women. In some areas, that number is much higher; in New York City, 12 times more Black women lose their lives to maternal mortality than white women.
The Privia Health platform gives participating healthcare providers tech-based tools that streamline administration and reduce operating costs, support patient-provider communication, and enhance patient engagement. Babyscripts is a digital remote monitoring system designed specifically for pregnancy. The new collaboration makes Babyscripts remote monitoring solutions and associated MyJourney app available for pregnant patients of any participating Privia Health provider.
Black women and other minority demographics experience higher rates of pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and maternal mental health issues. Babyscripts offers 24/7 remote monitoring for these and other concerns. In addition, patients can access educational content, provider-approved nutrition and health guidelines, weight tracking, and appointment reminders through the MyJourney app.
Privia Health announced that it intends to work with insurance companies to improve coordination of obstetric care using the Babyscripts platform. That would enable primary care providers, midwives, OB-Gyns, or specialists to access maternal monitoring data and other platform elements to ensure holistic care delivery.
Participating providers now have the opportunity to provide up to 90% of maternal care virtually through Babyscripts. That’s excellent news for pregnant people with barriers to essential prenatal and postpartum medical services, especially those who live hours from the nearest obstetric specialist, have preexisting conditions that put their pregnancies at risk, or can’t access care because they can’t take time off from work or pay for childcare.
Virtual pregnancy care, especially solutions directed at Black women and other high-risk demographics, has the potential to reverse a horrific racial health disparity and improve the safety of childbearing nationwide. Privia Health and Babyscripts deserve recognition for taking a leading role in solving a devastating and inhumane maternal health crisis.
