The New York-based health system is rolling out Northwell Health Pregnancy Chats, an AI-enhanced chatbot that can act as both a resource for important information about pregnancy and a care management tool that can alert care providers to an urgent health concern.
Northwell Health is launching a digital health platform aimed at addressing the nation's high maternal mortality rate.
The New York-based health system is rolling out Northwell Health Pregnancy Chats, an AI-enabled chatbot that can act as both an information resource and care management tool, alerting providers to any health concerns that require immediate follow-up.
“Northwell Health Pregnancy Chats are both extremely comprehensive and highly individualized and are designed to complement the interactions patients have with their providers,” Michael Nimaroff, MD, senior vice president of Northwell’s OB/GYN service line and chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology for North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, said in a press release. “It’s a way to ensure women are never without support, whether they’re in a doctor’s office or in their own home.”
The chatbot targets a growing health concern in the US that has attracted the attention of health systems and the federal government. Roughly 26 of every 100,000 women die during childbirth, a rate much higher that many other countries and a particular concern among minorities, where the rate is even higher.
[See also: Chatbots in Healthcare: How hospitals are navigating the pros and cons].
While the Biden-Harris Administration has targeted the issue in a Maternal Health Blueprint released in June 2022, many healthcare organizations are using digital health tools like mHealth apps and remote patient monitoring programs to connect with mothers-to-be at home and monitor them through their pregnancy. Many of these programs continue after childbirth, to monitor the baby's health and the mother's well-being.
“Far too many pregnant and birthing people in this country suffer harm or even die because of problems that are entirely preventable," Dawnette Lewis, MD, MPH, director of the Center for Maternal Health, said in the press release. "Northwell is committed to doing whatever is necessary to reduce those risks. By bringing together high-tech innovation and high-touch clinical care, the Northwell Health Pregnancy Chats will help keep women and babies safe.”
Developed in a partnership with Portland-based digital health company Conversa Health, which is now part of Amwell, the chatbot was deployed in a pilot program and used by some 1,632 patients. The program helped to identify several urgent health problems, including severe preeclampsia and behavioral health concerns, and was positively received by 96% of the users.
The no-cost digital health tool, accessible via smartphones and other mobile devices, will eventually be offered to women receiving pregnancy care throughout Northwell Health's coverage area, according to the health system.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Roughly 26 out of every 100,000 women in the US die during childbirth, a much higher rate than many other countries and a particular health concern among minorities, where the rate is higher.
The issue has caught the attention of the Biden-Harris Administration as well as many health systems, who are using digital health tools and remote patient monitoring platforms to monitor and collaborate on care with women during and after pregnancy.
Northwell Health's chatbot was tested in a pilot project involving more than 1,600 women, where it received a 96% satisfaction score and helped to identify several urgent health concerns.