Spring 2016
Ongoing prenatal and postpartum care is the best way to assure health for mothers, babies and families alike. Often, patients do not follow up or do not attend postpartum visits, resulting in missed opportunities for assessment of any medical complications, symptoms of postpartum depression and contraception counseling.
As providers, there are some things that can be done to help patients make postpartum care a priority, such as:
- Begin to educate patients on the importance of postpartum care beginning in the prenatal period.
- Educational mailings emphasizing the importance of prenatal and postpartum care.
- Ensure that postpartum appointments are scheduled within three to eight weeks post-delivery.
- Set up postpartum visit(s) from the patient’s bedside during her hospital stay.
- Piggyback visits with infant appointments if both mother and infant are patients at your site.
- Call, email or text the day before with a reminder.
- Call after a missed visit and follow up with a second call and/or letter.
- Update patient contact information at each visit.
- Schedule a postpartum appointment no more than 4 to 5 weeks after delivery. This way, a missed appointment can be rescheduled before 56 days.
- If transportation is an issue, have members call LogistiCare at 1-855-330-9133 or Neighborhood Member Services at 1-800-459-6019 (TDD/TTY 711).Pregnant members are eligible for transportation to medical appointments beginning in their third trimester and continuing until three months postpartum.