Access to timely specialty care for high-risk pregnancies remains uneven, particularly in rural communities where maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists are scarce. In a recent Q&A with Becker’s Clinical Leadership, Dr. Blake Porter, Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Access TeleCare, discusses how teleMaternal-fetal medicine (teleMFM) is helping hospitals and OB/GYN practices extend high-risk pregnancy care to more communities.
Here are a few highlights from the conversation:
- TeleMFM brings subspecialty expertise directly to the bedside, allowing hospitals to consult MFM specialists virtually within minutes.
- Hospitals can expand access without recruiting a full-time specialist, using a fractional model where one MFM supports multiple sites.
- Virtual outpatient clinics help patients receive high-risk pregnancy care closer to home, reducing the need for long-distance travel.
- Advanced sonography and remote MFM interpretation improve early detection of fetal abnormalities, helping ensure patients deliver in the right setting.
- TeleMFM can strengthen rural labor and delivery programs, giving local clinicians expert support and helping stabilize services.
Dr. Porter also discusses the role telemedicine can play in addressing maternal health disparities and how hospitals can integrate teleMFM into their existing care teams.
➡️ Read the full Becker’s Clinical Leadership interview.
