Mayo Clinic's consumer-focused pilot program helps improve pregnancy experience

Mayo Clinic tested a program aimed at improving the patient experience by designing a new model of pregnancy care. The program piloted 14 alternative prenatal care options, offered to women with low-risk pregnancies. During the course of the project, the Mayo team derived insights to create a single cohesive model of care called OB Nest. The program implemented three initiatives to improve the customer experience:

1. Prioritize convenience: One OB Nest allowed patients to use home measuring equipment and phone visits for their prenatal care. This reduced the number of in-person prenatal visits from the standard 12 to eight. Patients were able to conduct appointments from the convenience of their homes, avoiding unnecessary trips to the provider;
2. Create a supportive environment: Another OB Nest initiative created online communities for pregnant women to share their pregnancy concerns, questions and thoughts. The websites were facilitated by OB nurses, a midwife and two pregnancy advisors. The initiative also provided a "video-in-a-friend" option at prenatal visits, allowing women to share their stories with their partners or friends who could not physically be at the appointment; and
3. Connect OB offerings to the system: One OB Nest experiment involved proactively calling patients after three different pregnancy events: miscarriage, post-partum and visits to triage. Proactive check-ins helped to connect patients to additional required services.