Almost half of new Australian mothers are now sent home one day or less after having an uncomplicated vaginal birth according to a recent Sydney Morning Herald news story by journalist, Henrietta Cook.  

Often a new mother is ready to leave and maternity ward in favour of the comforts or home but other women, especially those giving birth for the first time, report feeling confused, battered and out of their depth when asked to leave so soon after her baby's arrival. 

Digitising Maternal Care for the Benefit of Mothers and the Healthcare System 

The decline in the number of working midwives is a contributing factor, with advocates blaming workload pressures and exposure to birth trauma, resulting in 25,557 practitioners working in midwifery in 2022 which is a 4.8% decrease on 2016 figures.  

This shortage is affecting the quality of care and potentially other outcomes, according to NSW Nurses and Midwives Association counsellor, lactation specialist and registered midwife Emma Gedge. who warned that specialist medical staff are increasingly lending their expertise to plug the midwifery gap leaving them unable to properly respond to specialist care needs.  

Based on data released in June by NSW Health, Gedge could be right. The 'Mother and Babies 2021' report found that the number of babies fully breastfed after they and their mothers are released from the hospital has declined for five years in a row in NSW, dropping from 78.5 per cent in 2017 to 73.1 per cent in 2021.  

Many hospitals are struggling to cope with the high demand and low midwife availability. Experts warn that early cost-containment and understaffing could lead to missed opportunities for education and support - opportunities that could mitigate the risk of a raft of complexities and challenges for mother and baby in the longer term if seized while mum and baby are under the care and supervision of healthcare professionals. 

Digital Healthcare Solutions to Alleviate Strain on Maternity Wards 

Digital healthcare solutions can alleviate some of the strain maternity wards are facing and the distress mothers are experiencing from the antenatal period right through the time that they're navigating the early stages of home life with their new addition.  

The use of digital innovations for maternal health streamlines communication between patients and healthcare providers through virtual care and multidisciplinary team access to patient information. Patient Health Questionnaires (PHQs) flag issues for healthcare providers if they arise and are an effective way to survey newborn health as well as uncovering instances of postnatal depression and other mental health challenges that can arise for mothers during the perinatal experience. 

Hospital in the Home (HITH) Programs for New Mums and their Newborns

Many hospitals are introducing Hospital in the Home (HITH) programs for their maternity patients. Patients are regarded as hospital inpatients and remain under the care of a treating hospital team, receiving the same treatment and considerations as they would in the hospital. This provides hospital-like care in the comfort of a patient's own home, including during the post-birth stage.

Benefits of Digital Healthcare Solutions 

Digital healthcare solutions give new mums access to more timely, personalised, participatory and convenient care. They are empowered to take charge their recovery and monitor their baby's development safe in the knowledge that their healthcare team is close at hand.  

For clinicians, digital solutions support clinical decision-making and free up capacity by automating repetitive tasks and improving triage. Capabilities also often include workflow management features that identify and support staff needs, enabling care teams to offer optimal care. 

While there is no silver bullet to resolving the healthcare staffing crisis, digital maternal healthcare solutions have the potential to bridge the gap between low midwife availability and high patient demand.  

By facilitating real-time patient monitoring and continuous provider communication, timely intervention can be coordinated, easing the strain on the system and supporting new mums at a time when many women experience uncertainty, anxiety and feelings of loneliness and social isolation in coping with the demands of caring for a newborn.