BACKGROUND:
Virtual models of maternity care that reduce admissions to ‘bricks and mortar’ settings are now being embedded in health services. Long periods of inpatient admission to hospital have negative impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of pregnant women. Evidence demonstrates the potential for reduced burden to systems and individuals and increased maternal satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES:
Virtual maternity care is identified as a strategic government priority to meet the diverse needs of the Australian population. The recently implemented Virtual Maternity Ward at the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) is the first of its kind in Sydney. This study aimed to pilot test user experiences, cost, carbon emissions and methods, to inform the design of future larger studies.

METHODS:
Routinely collected outcomes data and qualitative interview data were collected from 40 women, partners/support people and clinicians. The analysis was guided by the domains of the ‘Quality framework for remote antenatal care’ constructed by Hinton et al. (2022).

RESULTS:
Women who traditionally may have required inpatient admission due to a pregnancy complication were offered hybrid care, via midwifery home visits, telehealth and periodic visits to the clinic. Midwives provided frequent care and support to women, escalating care to obstetric team if required. The setting is a well-resourced population, hence, further research is needed that focuses on equity and inclusion for disadvantaged populations.

CONCLUSIONS:
Virtual maternity care is a promising option for many women with pregnancy complications, however, there is a crucial need for further research on whether virtual models of maternity care can meet the socially, culturally and geographically diverse needs of the Australian population.

KEY MESSAGE:
Virtual maternity care is emerging in Australia as a strategy to reduce the burden on ‘bricks and mortar’ health services and improve experiences for women and families. Poster session 1 (Group A)