What You Should Know:
– NeuroFlow, a behavioral health technology and analytics company helping to measure and manage population risk, has launched a suite of perinatal and postpartum pathways to support behavioral health throughout and after pregnancy.
– These programs are a manifestation of NeuroFlow’s commitment to improving identification and timely support for behavioral health comorbidities, overcoming systemic barriers to care for populations that lack the resources they need during a vulnerable and momentous time in their lives.
NeuroFlow’s Innovative Approach: Transforming Maternal Mental Healthcare
In 2022, the White House declared a maternal health crisis in response to the escalating maternal mortality rates. The majority of these fatalities are preventable, with over 23% attributed to behavioral health conditions. Fast forward two years, and parents are still grappling with this harsh reality, with 75% of women facing perinatal mental health issues remaining untreated due to inadequate screening or access to care. Notably, disparities in postpartum behavioral health screenings are glaring among low-income women and women of color.
Numerous organizations are striving to enhance access to care for women and families throughout the pregnancy journey. However, most still lack sufficient mechanisms for consistently screening behavioral health needs at every pregnancy stage and tailoring resources accordingly. Addressing this challenge head-on, NeuroFlow is implementing upstream strategies to identify maternal behavioral health needs through regular screenings and proactive support. This includes promptly reaching out to parents experiencing suicidal ideation or self-harm ideation. The launch of these vital pathways strategically coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month, aimed at fostering discussions and highlighting these critical issues.
NeuroFlow’s novel maternal mental health offering employs enhanced logic to deliver timely, clinically validated assessments throughout pregnancy, guiding parents to the appropriate level of care. The personalized experience also encompasses educational content and milestone planning for each trimester and the postpartum period, including resources for dealing with pregnancy loss. NeuroFlow has developed curricula to support both broad population health initiatives and Ob-Gyn workflows, integrating pathways directly into patient care. This proven model, honed through collaboration with industry partners, is drawing interest from organizations such as disability insurers, Medicaid MCOs, and health systems committed to improving maternal population management and addressing mental health comorbidities. NeuroFlow’s ability to gauge risk and connect individuals to care pathways across various at-risk populations has led to reduced emergency department visits and enhanced symptom detection.
“Our goal is to normalize the challenges of new parenthood and ensure that no parent feels alone or ashamed during this incredibly stressful time,” said NeuroFlow Director of Clinical Growth and Strategy Amanda Brooks. “By providing a pathway that augments the care they are receiving from their provider, new and expecting parents’ care is improved, and the risk of untreated postpartum mental health conditions is mitigated.”
