Providing Mobile Health Services to Women and Babies: Successes and Challenges

Mobile health has been utilized for many years among different populations. Unique qualities of a mobile health program include flexibility to go where the patients are as well as being able to access communities in ways that engages individuals who may not be reachable via the traditional medical delivery system. Examples of vulnerable populations include those that are homeless as well as immigrants experiencing language barriers.

In 2005, in response to Hurricane Katrina, the March of Dimes initiatied efforts that culminated in the deployment of four mobile health centers that provide preconception, prenatal, and well-baby care to vulnerable populations in Lousiana and Mississippi, who may not have access to the traditional medical delivery system. In this presentation, we will examine four mobile health programs that provide care in a non-traditional setting and discuss outcomes over a 2-year period.

Methods for establishing successful, effective mobile health programs, with a focus on design and implementation, will be elucidated. In addition, unique challenges, including potential barriers and pitfalls, will be shared.