Innovations in Prospective Perinatal Research as a Result Of the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

In 2020, in-person research activities were stopped because of the spread of the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and the resulting disease, coronavirus disease 2019. Our collaborative team of nurse and midwife scientists at universities across the United States adapted research activities to continue prospective perinatal research during the pandemic. These adaptations included development of new research techniques and the implementation of previously developed, but underused, strategies to conduct research from a distance. These strategies included online recruitment, virtual enrollment and consent, qualitative data collection via video conferencing, new applications of smart phone technology, wearable biological measurement, and participant self-collection of biological samples. In addition to allowing research to continue during the pandemic, these innovative strategies may increase access to research for low-income, rural, and racially diverse pregnant and postpartum populations. Decreased travel requirements, flexible scheduling, wearable devices, and the capacity to self-collect biologic samples may improve recruitment and the experience of research participation. The rapid implementation of these research strategies has advanced innovation toward wider, more inclusive and increasingly diverse perinatal research access, and many of these strategies will continue to be used and refined.

Feasibility of Stress Research in Premature Infant–Maternal Dyads During and After Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospitalization

“…Study designs leveraging patient-collected biologic sample designs have previously been successful and are more frequently needed with the introduction of COVID-19. 40 Overwhelmingly, the mothers in our study reported high acceptance of the research protocol. All but 1 participating mother reported high degrees of acceptability of collecting samples of biologic materials.…”

“…Future research requiring biologic materials should test the feasibility of clinician-observed, patient-collected biologic samples using telehealth technologies. Study designs leveraging patient-collected biologic sample designs have previously been successful and are more frequently needed with the introduction of COVID-19 40…”

Parental Perceptions of Early Childhood Research with In-Home Monitoring: A Qualitative Study

“…Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, remote study visits have emerged as one such way to provide additional convenience in some cases. 33 Logistical details, such as time commitment and location of visits, should be presented clearly when approaching potential participants. In this spirit of transparency, it is also important to discuss safety and privacy concerns directly with families and to be clear about the rationale underlying study design, what data is collected, how it is kept secure, and the risk of potential data breaches.…”

“…A total of 24 individuals were enrolled and participant demographics reflected the socioeconomic and racial/ethnic diversity we sought (Table 2). All participants identified as female with a median age of 30 years (IQR [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]); 46% of participants were currently pregnant. Fifteen (62%) met high SES criteria and 9 (38%) met low SES criteria.…”

Perinatal Telehealth: Meeting Patients Where They Are

“…The rapid transition to telehealth spurred innovation and technological advancements in virtual care delivery and provided opportunities for natural scientific study examining the experiences of telehealth through patient and caregiver perspectives. 4 Prior to the pandemic, studies conducted on telehealth versus in-person perinatal care indicated similar clinical outcomes and equal or higher patient satisfaction. [5][6][7][8][9][10] However, participants were mostly White, English-speaking patients, and these initial hybrid programs tailored telehealth models to high-resourced individuals seeking convenience.…”