Telehealth for MFM

SMFM's Telehealth Workgroup and volunteer leaders have developed a number of resources to support telehealth for MFMs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Patient Education 

Share SMFM's patient handouts to help your patients prepare for telehealth appointments. Find handouts and address common questions that patients may have.

Health Policy and Advocacy

Acknowledging the potential for telehealth to exacerbate inequities if poorly implemented, SMFM's Health Policy and Advocacy Committee created an issue brief, "Opportunities to Increase Access to Quality Care and Advance Equitable Maternal Health" (Dec 2020), intended to guide the development of policies so that they advance equity and increase access to MFM services. Additional partner resources include:

• In a letter (April 2021) to SMFM and ACOG, the FDA lifted the in-person dispending requirements for Mifepristone for the remainder of the COVID-19 public health emergency. 
• The Power to Decide Created a One-Pager (Feb 2021) and Interactive Map Detailing State-Level Telehealth Policies Relevant to Contraceptives
• The National Health Law Program developed three fact sheets: Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services Delivered via Telehealth (Dec 2020), Medicaid Coverage of Pregnancy Care Delivered via Telehealth (Jan 2021), and Medicaid Coverage of Abortion Care Delivered via Telehealth (March 2021).
• The EMMA Project Created a One-Pager on Medication Abortion Care that Shows Pre-Pandemic Care Protocols vs. Pandemic Care Protocol
• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists developed a series of state-level policy recommendations related to telehealth and remote patient monitoring intended to increase access to OBGYN services (May 2020)
• The Federation of State Medical Boards created a state-by-state chart that shows the various modified requirements for telehealth by state boards due to COVID-19 (December 2020)

Coding and Practice Management Resources

Available exclusively to SMFM members, the SMFM Coding Committee has developed coding guidance for telemedicine and remote monitoring services. 

• Coding for Remote Patient Monitoring Services - An Update (June 2020)
• Interprofessional Consultants during the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 2020)
• Coding for Remote Reading, Interpretation, and Reporting of Ultrasound and Other Antenatal Surveillance Procedures during the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 2020)
• Updated Interim Coding Guidance: Coding for Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring Services (April 2020)
• Interim Coding Guidance: Coding for Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 2020)

Developed as part of SMFM's COVID-19 Series, the webinars listed below are open access.

• Community Practice Considerations. Additional resources mentioned in the webinar are also available here: High-Risk OB and Antenatal Testing and, for example, FaceTime/ Video Call Informed Consent Form. (July 2020)
• MFM Practice Management in the Era of COVID-19. The slide deck is available here. (April 2020)
• Telemedicine and Coding Tips in the Era of COVID. The slide deck is available here. (April 2020)

Education

The Association of American Medical Colleges issued a series of telehealth competencies (September 2020)

The University of Rochester Medical Center developed practical tips for clinical supervision in ambulatory telehealth visits (May 2020) and guidance of precepting for telemedicine. This varies by state.