Evaluation of a Telemedicine Program Managing High-risk Pregnant Women with Pre-existing Diabetes in Arkansas's Medicaid Program

Objective: We aim to evaluate the effects of the telemedicine program, High-Risk Pregnancy Program at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), on health services utilization and medical expenditures among pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes and their newborns.

Research Design And Methods: The study sample was selected from the Arkansas Medicaid claims linked to infant birth/death certificates and UAMS telemedicine records from 2013 through 2016. We used propensity score matching based on participants' characteristics to create three groups - UAMS telemedicine care, UAMS in-person care, and non-UAMS prenatal care. We compared inpatient and outpatient care services, medication use and caesarean section rates, severe maternal morbidity, infant mortality and preterm birth rates and medical expenditures.

Results: The UAMS telemedicine group had fewer inpatient admissions (1.18 vs 1.31; 95% CI: -0.27, 0.00), lower insulin use rates (41.86% vs 59.88%; 95% CI: -29.00%, -7.05%) and lower maternal care expenditures ($7,846 vs $10,644; 95% CI: -$4,089, -$1,507) compared with the UAMS in-person care group. Women receiving UAMS telemedicine had more prenatal care visits (10.45 vs 8.57; 95% CI: -2.96, -0.81), higher insulin use rates (41.86% vs 26.74%: 95% CI: 4.63%, 25.60%) and similar maternal care expenditures ($7,846 vs $7,051), compared with those receiving non-UAMS in-person care. Caesarean section, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality rates were similar across the three groups.

Conclusion: UAMS telemedicine was associated with improved utilization of prenatal care among pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes. Telemedicine services did not differ from usual in-person services in clinical outcomes and medical expenditures.