Expectations related to home-based telemonitoring of high-risk pregnancies: A qualitative study addressing healthcare providers' and users' views in Norway

IntroductionA pregnancy can be evaluated as high-risk for the woman and/or the fetus based on medical history and on previous or ongoing pregnancy characteristics. Monitoring high-risk pregnancies is crucial for early detection of alarming features, enabling timely intervention to ensure optimal maternal and fetal health outcomes. Home-based telemonitoring (HBTM) is a marginally exploited opportunity in antenatal care. The aim of this study was to illuminate healthcare providers' and users' expectations and views about HBTM of maternal and fetal health in high-risk pregnancies before implementation.Material and methodsTo address diverse perspectives regarding HBTM of high-risk pregnancies, four different groups of experienced healthcare providers or users were interviewed (n = 21). Focus group interviews were conducted separately with midwives, obstetricians, and women who had previously experienced stillbirth. Six individual interviews were conducted with hospitalized women with ongoing high-risk pregnancies, representing potential candidates for HBTM. None of the participants had any previous experience with HBTM of pregnancies. The study is embedded in a social constructivist research paradigm. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach.ResultsThe participants acknowledged the benefits and potentials of more active roles for both care recipients and providers in HBTM. Concerns were clearly addressed and articulated in the following themes: eligibility and ability of women, availability of midwives and obstetricians, empowerment and patient safety, and shared responsibility. All groups problematized issues crucial to maintaining a sense of safety for care recipients, and healthcare providers also addressed issues related to maintaining a sense of safety also for the care providers. Conditions for HBTM were understood in terms of optimal personalized training, individual assessment of eligibility, and empowerment of an active patient role. These conditions were linked to the importance of competent and experienced midwives and obstetricians operating the monitoring, as well as the availability and continuity of care provision. Maintenance of safety in HBTM in high-risk pregnancies was crucial, particularly so in situations involving emerging acute health issues.ConclusionsHBTM requires new, proactive roles among midwives, obstetricians, and monitored women, introducing a fine-tuned balance between personalized and standardized care to provide safe, optimal monitoring of high-risk pregnancies. Comprehensive home-based telemonitoring of high-risk pregnancies may change specialized antenatal care. Multiple perspectives on such follow up highlight eligibility/ability of women, availability of competent professionals, empowerment, and shared responsibility as crucial to maintaining the safety of care recipients and the safe provision of care.image