Table of Contents
Introduction: Modernising Antenatal Care
Canberra Obstetrics, a busy practice with multiple specialists across three locations, needed a smarter way to manage the increasing demands of antenatal care. By partnering with Personify Care, the clinic implemented a digital maternity care pathway that standardised processes, enhanced patient education, and reduced the administrative burden on staff.
From Spreadsheets to Digital Consent: The Challenges of Antenatal Care
Before adopting a digital solution, the clinic’s workflows were manual and fragmented:
- Heavy Administrative Burden: Staff managed referrals, data entry, phone bookings, and manual tracking of consent forms.
- Inconsistent Communication: Multiple email templates led to errors and inconsistent patient experiences.
- Complex Tracking: Spreadsheets were required to track each patient’s documentation across doctors.
- Repetitive Manual Tasks: Staff frequently chased missing forms and ensured compliance by hand.
As Dr Meiri Robertson reflected, “I kept being told we don’t do that. Why don’t we use a proper electronic digital impact that will help us?”
The Solution: A Tailored Digital Maternity Pathway
With Personify Care, Canberra Obstetrics introduced a centralised digital antenatal pathway designed to:
- Automate Consumer Onboarding: Patients received invitations to securely provide demographic details, pregnancy history, and consent forms online.
- Deliver Standardised yet Personalised Content: Patients only received the forms and resources relevant to their care and doctor.
- Send Gestation‑Specific Information: For example, due date letters at 20 weeks reduced unnecessary phone and email requests.
- Capture Digital Consent: Including critical procedures such as the Anti‑D injection, improving safety and compliance.
- Enable Efficient Triage: A flag system helped staff quickly identify patients requiring follow-up.
- Provide a Centralised Information Hub: A “Your Pregnancy and Beyond” library offered on‑demand access to resources such as hospital classes, Medicare claims, and breastfeeding guidance.
Learn more about our platform features that make tailored digital maternity care possible.
Results: Confident Patients, Efficient Staff
The digital pathway produced significant improvements in patient engagement and clinic efficiency:
- Reduced Admin Load: Manual tracking and follow-ups were eliminated thanks to automated reminders and centralised forms.
- High Patient Engagement:
- 80% said the pathway answered questions they would otherwise call about
- 85% learned about health topics they were not previously aware of
- 90% reported feeling better prepared for clinical visits
- Improved Data Accuracy: Patients entered their own information, reducing errors.
- Enhanced Medico‑Legal Security: Automatic documentation of gestation‑specific information created a clear audit trail.
- Patient Empowerment: As Dr Robertson noted, “A well investigated and a well informed woman becomes a very confident patient. This confidence goes into the postnatal period.”
Sarah Bianchi added: “It’s straight to their phone. Consumers complete things they need to do, and then they get their information along the way… it’s their one stop shop to get everything they need in a convenient and quick manner.”
Why Digital Pathways Are Essential for Maternity Care
For obstetricians and maternity specialists, the benefits of a digital maternity care pathway are clear:
- Reduce reliance on spreadsheets and manual admin
- Ensure consistent, gestation‑specific communication
- Improve patient engagement and preparedness for appointments
- Support medico‑legal compliance with clear audit trails
See how our digital pathways are transforming maternity care across Australia.
