Abstract
Abstract
Antenatal care is traditionally delivered through frequent in-person visits, but telehealth and remote monitoring can shift key components into the home. We conducted a prospective observational pilot study to evaluate an integrated digital antenatal care platform in a metropolitan maternity service. The digital platform combines wireless fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring, blood pressure (BP) and weight tracking, mood assessment, app-based antenatal education, automated reminders and alerts, and hybrid consultations within routine care. Among 197 women in the primary analysis, participants completed 2,510 FHR recordings, 1,041 BP measurements, and 1,698 mood ratings remotely. Video telehealth was used by 143 participants. The platform generated 276 alerts, of which 12 (4.3%) required clinical review. Delivery data showed a mean gestation of 39.3 weeks and preterm birth in 4.2%. Mean overall experience was 4.69/5, with 91.7% rating home monitoring positively and 62.5% preferring hybrid care. Findings support larger comparative effectiveness and safety studies.