A Telemedicine Prenatal Care Model on Low Risk Pregnants: An Effectiveness Randomized Clinical Trial (The m@Mae-e Study)

This is a pragmatic, effectiveness, superiority randomized clinical trial (RCT), in which low risk pregnants will be randomized to a prenatal care program supported by telemedicine or usual care in an allocation ratio of 1:1. The follow-up period will last 41 weeks from inception (i.e., 6 to 13 weeks of gestational age) to pregnancy and a extension period of 6 weeks in the postpartum stage. The investigators settled anxiety levels estimated by the General Anxiety Scale 7 scale as primary outcome in a between-groups mean difference after the 3rd trimester. Secondary outcomes include: delivery mode, obstetric events and fetal and neonatal variables of epidemiological surveillance interest (birth weight, birth height and APGAR score; maternal, fetal and neonatal fatal and non-fatal events). The interventions will occur as follows: for usual care, all appointments (at least 9 outpatient clinic visits) will be carried forward in person by a senior obstetrician. Patients randomized for the telemedicine supported group should will attend at least 6 in person and 3 online appointments. All pregnant women will receive the standardized care throughout the study. The sample size calculation was based on the primary outcome, assuming between-groups mean difference of 4 points plus a 4-points standard deviation, at a statistical of 80% and a two-tailed 5% type I error. Further, a 15% of addition was done for potential impairments during the follow-up, ending in 30 patients per group. The m@mae-e study's setting will be the at Santa Casa de Misericórdia, (Porto Alegre, Brazil).