{"id":270488,"date":"2023-01-11T08:50:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T13:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/?p=270488"},"modified":"2025-06-11T10:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:26:28","slug":"personalized-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/blog\/personalized-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital solutions for maternal health are only as good as their personalization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At first glance, one digital health solution might look a lot like another. In the case of maternal health, many solutions are based solely on telehealth access. They give members another layer of healthcare providers in addition to their regular primary care and OBGYN visits, but that doesn\u2019t always equal better care or better health outcomes.\u00a0It may be missing personalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, bringing more providers into the mix can cause problems for two big reasons:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. First, members can end up with disparate moments in care \u2014 there\u2019s no one to put together the big picture of their health and risks. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Second, a disconnected layer of telehealth is almost always reactive, not preventive.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    How reactive, disparate care happens \u2014 and why the gaps are a problem for maternal and fetal health outcomes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Patients usually use a digital health platform to connect with a telehealth provider for quick questions about specific issues. But the telehealth provider doesn\u2019t have access to the patient\u2019s background, risk factors, or earlier symptoms, so there\u2019s no opportunity to understand whether one small symptom might be part of an underlying or developing health issue. Plus, a member only calls when they notice an issue. The care can only be reactive, not preventive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And since a patient\u2019s primary care provider or OBGYN may not know about a telehealth interaction, they can\u2019t put the self-reported symptoms from the telehealth visit into context either. With this gap in care, it\u2019s easy to miss small warning signs, meaning that patients may not get the screenings and care they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s an example of how this kind of gap in care can turn into something much bigger: imagine a member meeting with a telehealth provider between prenatal checkups to ask about headaches. The member gets advice on how to safely treat a headache during pregnancy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But headaches can also be an early sign of preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy). And the telehealth provider doesn\u2019t know that the patient has other preeclampsia risk factors (such as preeclampsia in an earlier pregnancy, kidney disease, or an autoimmune disease). Without this knowledge, the provider doesn\u2019t see a problem developing. And the patient, having already consulted with a telehealth doctor, doesn\u2019t mention headaches to her regular doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In this case, the care team misses the opportunity to reduce the risk of preeclampsia with a simple preventive: low-dose aspirin. Or to provide other life-saving measures, from monitoring and medication to early delivery if necessary. Untreated, preeclampsia can lead to preterm birth, placental abruption, and, if the condition develops into eclampsia, seizures and coma.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The secret to a digital health solution with better health outcomes and a tangible ROI? Personalization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    An extra layer of telehealth alone just isn\u2019t enough. For better birth outcomes and a meaningful ROI, a digital health solution needs to include personalization and proactive care. Members need to be able to track and record their health, and someone needs to be looking for trends so health issues are caught and addressed early. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ovia Health is built with personalization at its core \u2014 members begin the Ovia program by taking a comprehensive health assessment. Then, they\u2019re given the tools and prompts to track their health daily, from weight and nutrition to sleep and physical and mental health symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ovia uses its repository of health data from research, along with claims and experiences from more than 18 million Ovia member journeys, to assess risks for each person. From there, we use personalization to provide members with the specific education they need, help them understand their risks, and guide them toward clinically-proven steps to help reduce adverse health events.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let\u2019s consider another example \u2014 the risks associated with a short cervix. For some women, the cervix begins to shorten too soon during pregnancy. This raises the risk of preterm labor, in turn increasing the health risks for newborns. But few women know about the importance of cervix length, or that their cervix length should be checked regularly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To help members discover any cervical issues and prevent preterm births, Ovia uses personalized pathways. First, we educate members about the importance of having the cervix measured. Then, our coaches proactively message members with a reminder to have their providers check cervical length (we also provide support if members need help advocating for care). Finally, our app offers members the ability to track and understand their cervical measurements.\u00a0
    A recent study proved members who work with Ovia coaches in this personalized way are more likely to take steps to help prevent preterm delivery. Members are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n