Maternal Fetal Medicine

The MUSC Health Maternal Fetal Telemedicine program allows women with high risk pregnancies to benefit from specialty care, regardless of where they live.

Many areas of South Carolina are faced with a shortage of Maternal Fetal providers and at the same time have high rates of conditions that complicate pregnancy, including diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Women with these conditions require or can benefit from care with a specially trained provider. A number of counties in South Carolina have too few or no obstetrical providers, requiring high risk patients to travel long distances to receive the specialty care and screening they need, which is often not feasible. The Maternal Fetal Telemedicine program enables a partnership between MUSC Health’s Maternal Fetal specialists and local providers to co-manage the care and screening of patients with high risk pregnancies and support all the necessary steps to achieve the best possible outcome.

How does it work?

Maternal Fetal Telemedicine visits operate much like a regular in-person visit. The patient comes to their local doctor’s office or hospital and meets with a local provider who conducts all tests and physical exams. The specialist is able to video conference in through telemedicine equipment and can see test results as well as ultrasound images. These specialists can provide resources like nutritional or genetic counseling, or advice on a health condition. The telemedicine provider can help identify any issues and track progress as well as help determine what the patient’s needs will be for delivery.

What are the benefits of the program?

• By bringing high risk pregnancy care closer to the women who need it, this program helps improve access to care and better manage risks during pregnancy.
• This program helps to reduce the premature birth rate, the neonatal death rate and the maternal death rate.

Locations