The Power of Partnership in Patient Empowerment During the Maternal Health Journey

Transforming the way we approach healthcare can empower patients and redefine their roles. In this quick hot take, Kaprice Welsh, founder of the Center for Black Women's Wellness in Georgia, speaks to the patient-provider relationship as a foundation for patient empowerment. She talks about how fostering trust and support can turn patients into partners, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to actively manage their health.

Listen and Learn:

• How critical additional support is in the often-overlooked postpartum period, where new mothers juggle their health alongside caring for their newborns 
• How remote patient monitoring coupled with engagement techniques can  enhance communication between moms and providers, offering real-time support and reassurance
• The importance of bridging the gap between healthcare visits to ensure mothers can promptly address any health concerns

Tune in to witness the power of communication and partnership in transforming healthcare delivery into a more compassionate and responsive experience.

Expert: Kaprice Welsh, Founder, Center for Black Women's Wellness

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There are times in the world and life when a
discovery changes how we dothings.
Hi, I'm Shelley Schoenfeld.
Join me on this journey ofdiscovery as we unfold a
whole-person health deliveryscience for people in need.
Welcome to Human ResilienceChanging the Way Healthcare is
Delivered.
In this episode we'll hear fromCaprice Welsh.

(00:20):
Caprice is founder of theCenter for Black Women's
Wellness in Georgia.
Caprice Welsh.
Caprice is founder of theCenter for Black Women's
Wellness in Georgia, and Capriceis going to share some of her
thoughts on the importance ofthe patient-provider
relationship and how thatimpacts patients' ability to
feel empowered and moreproactive in managing their own
health care, and that's reallydue largely in part to the trust
and support they know they'regetting from their provider.

(00:43):
So I'll turn it over to Capricenow.
Take it away, caprice.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
There really is a great it's a really phenomenal
impact on providers.
Providers now feel like youknow moms, can, you can partner
with moms in their care, right?
You sort of this idea.
It's just like this.
We call it patient-centeredcare.
This is no longer theoretical.
Really the patient becomes thepartner with the provider in
their care, and that you'reempowering the patient to be

(01:11):
engaged in their care, inmonitoring their blood pressure
and really understanding whatthe symptoms are that we really
want them to be alerted to.
And so, as a provider, it'sreally good that you know when
you discharge the patient andyou give them discharge
instructions on what to look outfor headaches, blurry vision,
dizziness and some of the signs,the warning signs that there

(01:35):
could be something going on withtheir blood pressure or
something more serious going on.
Once mom gets those instructions, postpartum discharge is
usually overwhelming.
You'll get instructions foryourself.
You get instructions for yourbaby and, like most new moms,
you are really probably focusedon all the things you now need
to do for this new baby,especially if you're a first

(01:55):
time mom, and so you hear thethings you need to do for
yourself, but you're reallycleaned in on to what you need
to do for your baby, and so youmay not really take it be able
to absorb all of thatinformation.
We give you lots of handoutsand things like that, but
sometimes you can be sooverwhelmed you can't remember
all the details that you neededto be looking out for or, like

(02:17):
most moms, you push through,take care of your baby, feed
your baby and think that you'rejust feeling this way because
you had a delivery and it was ahard delivery and that's why I
have a headache and making lotsof excuses.
But those excuses can reallybecome an area where you could
become vulnerable to somethingmore serious going on.

(02:37):
So it's really important andkey that moms recognize the
symptoms and acknowledge thesymptoms that they're having and
realize that these can beserious.
So, as partnering with women toif we have a program or a way to
have this heightenedsurveillance with by text
message or a way that we cancommunicate directly with them,

(02:58):
that they feel connected to us,to get the answers to their
questions answers to theirquestions answered in a timely
fashion.
If they think that something'sgoing on, they're just not sure.
They just want to know ifeverything is okay.
They just need a sounding board, they just need reassurance.
They just need to know if theyneed to do anything else.
This program that we've createdallows that truly intimate

(03:21):
communication that there is ahealthcare provider on the other
end of the text messages thatthey may get, that there is a
healthcare provider on the otherend of the text messages that
they may get, or that there's aprovider watching and observing
the blood pressure.
So there's a provider on theother end of that device that
they have, that they arewatching and they have this sort
of heightened surveillancearound their care.
And they also will have someonecall them and speak to them,

(03:44):
because a lot of times you'renot sure if the headache is
serious enough.
You know, yes, I had a headache, but it's coming back today.
Yes, my feet are a littleswollen, but I know it should be
.
But sometimes it's, maybe it'snot OK, and so it's nice to be
able to have a way tocommunicate with your provider
sort of in real time and toalert them that things may be
going on.

(04:04):
And sometimes you may can say Ican just go to the hospital if
I'm worried.
Sometimes you may have not havechildcare, you're not able to go
to the hospital, so sometimes,at least having someone talk to
you on the phone to maybe say doI need to come in now?
Do I need to come in or alertpatients that we would like them
to come in for an office visitor to the hospital?

(04:32):
This way of having this sort ofremote monitoring option out
there allows doctors andproviders to be able to have
sort of a long arm of touch ontheir patients and also patients
feel comfortable that they feelthat their doctors care.
If my doctor is checking on meand wants to know that I'm okay
and concerned about my bloodpressure, I really feel like I'm
getting good care.
If my doctor is checking on meand wants to know that I'm okay
and concerned about my bloodpressure, I really feel like I'm
getting good care and I'mbuilding sort of that real-time
trust and collaboration with myprovider.
That really reassures patientsand empowers them to be you know

(04:56):
, to be you know involved intheir care.
When you think that someonereally cares about your care and
their outcome and wants you tobe okay.
And so it's really empoweringand inspiring for patients to
really feel like you know thatthey have a partner in getting
well or getting better, or thatyou know someone to help
identify when things are wrong.