Maternity care during a pandemic: Can a hybrid telehealth model comprising group interdisciplinary education support maternal psychological health?

Abstract

Background: The transition to parenthood is one of the most challenging across the life course, with profound changes that can impact psychological health. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), came the rapid implementation of remote antenatal care, i.e., telehealth, with fewer in-person consultations. A change in service delivery in addition to the cancellation of antenatal education represented a potential threat to a woman's experience – with likely adverse effects on mental health and wellbeing. Aim: To explore a hybrid model of pregnancy care, i.e., telehealth and fewer in-person health assessments, coupled with concurrent small group interdisciplinary education delive..