Patient experience tips for mother-baby units

In-room patient technology that supports your patient experience strategies can make sure that impression is a positive one that can impact brand loyalty, HCAHPS, staff satisfaction and processes, and discharge outcomes.

I’ve been an OB nurse for many years, and I have worked with hospitals across the country to improve nursing workflows, patient education and patient experience.

Here are some ways I’ve seen hospitals use technology to make a new mom’s experience the best it can be.

Reassuring & supporting a new mom

A new mom wants to feel like she and her new baby are in the best possible hands, receiving the best possible care.

SONIFI Health’s digital whiteboards have a special configuration for mother-baby units that simultaneously show the most important care information for both mom and baby.

The displays automatically update thanks to EHR integrations, giving mom peace of mind knowing she always has the most up-to-date details about her and her baby’s health in clear view.

To provide additional reassurance, you can also use a custom channel on the in-room TV to highlight staff expertise and resources available, like lactation consultants, spiritual leaders, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, and nurses with certifications specific to mother-baby care.

Making sure a new mom feels heard

A new mom may have questions she may have never thought about before, or she have specific requests or needs for herself or her baby. Keep lines of communication open for better care interactions and real-time service recovery.

Feedback and request features on the in-room TV can be used to ask new moms about:

• Any spiritual needs or cultural observances your team should be aware of
• Any interpreter services they may need, especially for rounding and education
• Risk factors and social determinants of health that need to be addressed

When you give new moms opportunities to give feedback, it gives your teams time to intervene before discharge and reduce preventable readmissions and hospitalizations.

Self-administered screening tools can also give you a consistent method to identify high-risk patients. For example, many mother-baby units we work with use our survey feature to administer the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

We’ve found that patients are more likely to be honest with out face-to-face interactions, especially when it comes to topics that may have lasting stigmas, like postpartum depression, safety concerns, or financial and food insecurities.

Helping a new mom feel comfortable

New moms may feel overwhelmed and exhausted during labor and in the immediate hours and days after giving birth. Help them relax in your hospital by providing easy-to-access options that give them autonomy and comfort.

For example, in-room interactive TVs can:

• Provide positive distraction
  On-demand movies, streaming connections, TV programming
• Offer soothing content
  Music, white noise, relaxation channels, spiritual content
• Integrate smart room controls
  Lights, temperature, window coverings, voice
• Promote your special services for new moms
  Massages, baby rockers, integrative therapies, food & snack options
• Highlight your amenities for family-centered care
  Valet services, gift shops, playrooms for children, family waiting room

Preparing a new mom for life at home

Getting discharged from the hospital with a new baby is an exciting time for new moms. But it can also be quite scary for them.

Not only are they going home to care for a newborn without the safety net of your hospital staff who guided them through the first few days, they also need to be aware of potential postpartum complications.

The education a family receives can be essential for a successful transition home.

You can help new moms feel confident and empowered with video education on an interactive TV that:

• Auto-assigns relevant education catered to the specific needs of new moms and their families
• Lets patients watch education on demand, anytime that’s best for them
• Provides video education libraries that offer content in various languages and health literacy levels
• Prompts patients to watch their education, improving education compliance and reducing length of stay
• Checks comprehension with post-education questions that chart back into the EHR and flag if reinforcement is needed
• Supports a comprehensive rounding strategy and gives nurses more time for teachbacks and direct care

Setting up a new mom for success

Just like every patient at a hospital, we often say that discharge preparation begins at admission. For new moms especially, we want to make sure we’re giving them all the resources and knowledge they need to care for their new baby — and themselves — at home.

We often work with hospitals to create a dedicated discharge channel on their interactive TV that highlights how to:

• Participate in meds-to-beds
• Register for the patient portal
• Schedule follow-up appointments
• Access education and care instructions at home
• Know postpartum warning signs
• Find new mom support groups
• Connect with community resources for transportation, financial services, food & housing assistance

A special experience for a special patient population

The needs of patients in your mother-baby unit are unlike any other. SONIFI Health’s technology can be customized to their needs and your goals for their patient experience.