Maternity care during a pandemic: Can a hybrid telehealth model comprising group interdisciplinary education support maternal psychological health?

The study was not randomised, and the control group was recruited after the intervention group, so baseline differences and time-related changes cannot be ruled out. The control group was small and underpowered, and the sample was restricted to English-speaking, medically low-risk first-time mothers, so it may not apply to higher-risk, non-English-speaking, or more diverse patients. The intervention bundled several components, including telehealth, fewer in-person assessments, small-group interdisciplinary education, peer support, and extended postnatal contact, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Several women disclosed a history of mental health problems in the online questionnaire despite being recruited as having no history at booking, which may affect interpretation. Subgroup analyses by model of care were exploratory and underpowered, especially the caseload and other continuity group with 12 women. The study took place during strict Melbourne lockdowns, so the results may reflect pandemic-specific effects on all women rather than the intervention alone.

The authors declared no ethical conflicts and reported no external funding sources.

Do not conclude that telehealth maternity care or group education alone prevents postnatal depression. This was a non-randomised feasibility study with a small underpowered control group, and the intervention bundled telehealth, fewer in-person visits, and group education, so the effect of any single part cannot be separated.