Using Skype for Breastfeeding Consultation: Feasibility Study to Determine Accuracy of Diagnosis and Referral

Access to a highly trained lactation consultant can significantly improve the chance of having a successful breastfeeding experience, especially in the first few days and months of life and when there is a medical breastfeeding issue. The use of voice and video-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) technology, such as Skype, holds tremendous potential for performance of relatively low-cost assessment, diagnosis, and referral of medical breastfeeding issues. However, its feasibility has yet to be established. Providing access to a highly trained International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), via internet, could benefit a large number of women and infants who live in rural or underserved communities and who are at risk for early weaning. The purpose of this project was to assess the feasibility, including accuracy, security, and acceptability, of using Skype for remote breastfeeding support. The first step in this process was to compare the diagnosis and referral, resulting from video consultation between a mother/infant pair and an IBCLC, with that of an in-person consultation between the same mother/infant pair and a second IBCLC. In this phase, communication between the remote IBCLC and the mother/infant pair occurred in a highly controlled setting (the same building), allowing for assurance of security and completion of the referral process. The similarities or differences between consultation modes were compared using data collected from the consultation notes. Results of these comparisons will be presented, along with successes and challenges of implementation of such a project. Expanding this project to phase 2 (increasing distance) will also be discussed.