Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :
Enhancing Partnership with Patients and Community (Projects initiated to engage patients / carers / community to improve efficiency / quality of care)
Authors (including presenting author) :
Yeung LM (1), Kwong KM (1), Ho LF (1)
Affiliation :
(1) Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital
Introduction :
Breastfeeding is the gold standard of nutrition for infants to achieve the best start in life. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of infancy then continue breastfeeding for up to 2 years of age or beyond with complementary solids. Adequate support after hospital stay is key to sustain breastfeeding, prevent unintended readmission for breast condition and avoid early breastfeeding cessation. Before sustainable breastfeeding established, telehealth on HAGo offers an alternative platform for postnatal women to receive timely support. In Queen Mary Hospital, telehealth service in lactation piloted in November 2022 with full implementation since March 2023.
Objectives :
To evaluate and explore postnatal women on their breastfeeding outcome and satisfaction about telehealth lactation support
Methodology :
Convenience sampling was used in postnatal women who had received telehealth lactation service from March to August 2023 in lactation consultant clinic. Telephone survey was conducted with the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. The first part reviewed the participants’ current infant feeding practice and number of times using telehealth service. The second part with 5 items with 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the experience and satisfaction in using telehealth in lactation service.
Result & Outcome :
In the sampling period, 10 postnatal women were recruited. The participants used the telehealth service ranged from 1 to 4 times (mean utilization 2.2 times). Among the participants, 50 percent of them remained exclusively breastfed and 50 percent of them practiced mixed feeding with supplementation of formula. No participants had breastfeeding cessation. Regarding their experience on telehealth service, majority of them rated high with the listening and image quality throughout consultation (mean 4.6/5). Most of them found they could communicate clearly (mean 4/5). They were satisfied with individual telehealth session and the quality of the service received (mean 4/5). This is the first maternity unit piloted the use of telehealth service on HAGo as an alternative to face-to-face support. All participants remained practicing exclusive or mixed breastfeeding. Skilled lactation support on telehealth platform offered a feasible option for postnatal women to optimize breastfeeding practice with high client satisfaction.
