BOSTON, Aug. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A digital maternity management model from Ovia Health, the only clinically-backed digital family health platform, has been shown to meaningfully improve preterm birth rates in a recently concluded study. The two-year, in-depth analysis, performed by Change Healthcare and Health Data Analytics Institute, determined Ovia’s ability to move the needle on preterm birth, one of the most detrimental outcomes to maternal and infant health.
By comparing preterm birth rates of Ovia members to those of non-Ovia members with similar clinical histories, analysis found statistically meaningful improvement in full-term birth rates for women who received Ovia as a benefit through an employer or health plan.
“Independent validation of our proprietary engagement model underscores Ovia’s ability to positively affect the health of women and families by driving clinical improvement for pervasive and costly conditions like preterm birth while also helping to reduce maternity claims costs,” said Dr. Leslie Saltzman, chief medical officer Ovia Health. “With the largest clinical research arm in the industry, Ovia is intentionally and distinctly science-driven in implementing our clinical solutions and analyzing the effect on health care costs. This approach allows us to maximize the value we bring to parents and families.”
Ovia’s case-controlled analysis, which compared an intervention group to a matched control group who did not use Ovia’s solution, involved over 500 participants from 35 Ovia clients who collectively registered a preterm birth rate of 3.8%. This is an improvement of more than 50% from the 8.3% preterm rate of matched controls, as well as the 10% national average. When applied on a population level, Ovia’s validated educational and risk reduction programming has the opportunity to combat health inequities and be a powerful lever in reducing maternal and infant health disparities.
The study also evaluated the enhanced impact of engagement with Ovia’s specialized virtual health experts—a suite of in-house clinicians ranging from lactation consultants to perinatal mental health specialists—through in-app messaging or phone consultation. Members who engaged with predictive virtual coaching through Ovia, one of the pillars of Ovia’s preterm birth prevention programming, demonstrated a significant improvement in preterm birth rates compared to those who did not. In addition to virtual predictive coaching services for members, Ovia’s holistic preterm birth prevention programming is predicated upon individual member empowerment, which we achieve through identifying high-risk factors early on in pregnancy, educating members about these risk-factors through evidenced-based articles, and assisting members to take important preventative measures like maintaining progesterone medication adherence to maximize their chances at a healthy, full-term delivery.
“Ovia’s results on preterm birth withstood rigorous validation techniques, including a matched-cohort analysis,” said Scott Greenwald, Ph.D., chief scientist and vice president of research at Health Data Analytics Institute. “Our analysis supports that Ovia provides measurable benefits in improving preterm birth rates. Ovia is the only family-building solution to have intentionally partnered with both an independent insurance claims provider and an independent analytics firm to source and analyze data.”
For Ovia, preterm birth is an area of focus, not only because of the negative financial implications, but also due to its connection with morbidity and adverse health impacts. With an estimated 207,000 preterm births per year in the United States, data suggests that utilizing a platform such as Ovia would reduce the estimated annual preterm birth spend of $26.2 billion, a substantial portion of which is shouldered by employers and payers. In addition, research shows that premature infants are more likely to have short- and long-term health issues, including impaired development of important organs such as the brain, heart and lungs. Additionally, mothers with histories of preterm birth are at greater risk of debilitating perinatal mood disorders such as postpartum depression and anxiety.
Full study can be accessed here.
About Ovia Health
Ovia Health, a Labcorp subsidiary, has served more than 17 million family and parenthood journeys since 2012 and is on a mission to make a happy, healthy family possible for everyone. Ovia Health is the only family health solution clinically proven to effectively identify and intervene with high-risk conditions. The company's 50+ clinical programs, including predictive coaching and personalized care plans, help prevent unnecessary health care costs, improve health outcomes, and foster a family-friendly workplace that increases retention and return to work. For more information, visit OviaHealth.com.
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Labcorp
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