Washington, D.C., January 11, 2018 – A new mobile app is changing how expectant mothers are receiving prenatal care at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Midwives at the Hospital Center can now remotely monitor their pregnant patients’ progress and health using the Babyscripts™ app. It’s the first mobile clinical tool that allows the midwives to elevate the prenatal care experience for their maternity patients.

Mothers enrolled in the program receive weekly educational updates tailored to their gestational period through the mobile app. The moms also track their weight and blood pressure through a Bluetooth®-enabled blood pressure cuff and weight scale, and the information is sent to their midwife. If the blood pressure or weight gain is too high or considered abnormal, the data is flagged, and the midwife can call for the mother to come in. These two metrics are important because they could indicate potential complications, such as preeclampsia, a serious condition that causes high blood pressure, kidney damage and other problems.

The combination of home monitoring plus notification of ‘abnormal triggers’ has reduced the number of face-to-face visits, some from 14 to nine prenatal visits, but that can vary depending on the individual. The program is offered to women whose pregnancy is considered low-risk.

“We piloted the app with our patients about a year ago and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They loved it,” said Loral Patchen, PhD, CNM, director of Midwifery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. “Babyscripts creates additional flexibility within our practice and provides a common bank of knowledge that allows us to personalize care to a greater degree during office visits. And both midwives and mothers appreciate that opportunity.”

Additionally, Babyscripts will be working with the Hospital Center’s Teen Alliance for Prepared Parenting (TAPP) program to provide a technology to promote healthier living and improve the overall well-being of pregnant and parenting youth. The Babyscripts Care Navigator module is the first-of-its-kind initiative for pregnant teen moms, providing automated patient education in the form of daily tips, along with the ability to interact with the moms through a HIPAA-compliant secure text messaging platform.

Currently, the Babyscripts features are only available to patients of MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Midwifery Practice and the TAPP program.

About MedStar Washington Hospital Center:
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is a 912-bed, major teaching and research hospital. It is the largest private, not-for-profit hospital in the nation’s capital, among the 100 largest hospitals in the nation and a major referral center for treating the most complex cases. Its cardiology program is highly acclaimed and its cardiac surgery program has consistently earned the highest national rating–three stars–from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. It also is a respected top facility in the areas of cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, Ear, Nose & Throat, gastroenterology & GI surgery, geriatrics, gynecology, nephrology, pulmonology and urology. It operates MedSTAR, a nationally-verified level I trauma center with a state-of-the-art fleet of helicopters and ambulances, and also operates the region’s only adult Burn Center.

So Young Pak
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