In an interview, Dr. Joseph Biggio, the system chair for women’s services and maternal-fetal medicine at Ochsner Health, highlighted the innovative features of the Connected Maternity Online Monitoring (Connected MOM) program, which recently earned the HHS Hypertension Innovator Award.
One of the program’s standout features is a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff provided to patients. This device connects to their smartphones, allowing automatic uploads of blood pressure readings to their electronic health records in Epic.
This direct integration eliminates the need for patients to manually send their measurements via email or text. Patients can monitor their blood pressure at home as frequently as their obstetric providers recommend. Any abnormal readings trigger alerts to providers, who can view the data in real-time when accessing the patient’s chart. This system also includes a dashboard that enables providers to track all enrolled patients’ readings at a glance, ensuring they can monitor compliance effectively.
Additionally, the Connected MOM program offers immediate feedback to patients during their blood pressure checks. If a reading is mildly elevated, patients receive a prompt to retake their measurement. In cases of significantly elevated readings, the system advises patients to contact their provider or labor and delivery for further instructions. This feature enhances patient engagement and ensures timely medical responses when necessary.
Overall, the Connected MOM program aims to improve prenatal care by leveraging technology to keep expectant mothers connected with their healthcare teams, ultimately leading to better health outcomes during and after pregnancy.