Study results will help address gaps in equity and inform best practices to meet the needs and preferences of minority parents.

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, maternal and pediatric health technology company Pacify and the RAND Corporation are announcing the launch of the first fully-powered, randomized controlled study evaluating the impact of telelactation on breastfeeding outcomes. The study is actively recruiting participants through pregnancy apps.

The goal of the study is to improve patient experience, breastfeeding rates and health equity among new parents.   

“Our research team, which includes researchers at RAND and the University of Pittsburgh, is thrilled to launch this trial in partnership with Pacify,” said Lori Uscher-Pines, Ph.D., a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation who is leading the study. “Telelactation has the potential to improve access to professional breastfeeding support and improve the breastfeeding experience. Through a large randomized trial, we can provide key evidence on the impact of telelactation on breastfeeding rates.”

RAND Corporation researchers will also explore how instantaneous telelactation support can improve the patient experience for parents, and how that experience varies across different racial and ethnic groups. The goal of the study is to ultimately use the results to improve patient experience, breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity rates and health equity among new parents.

“The study is an innovative digital trial that allows breastfeeding parents to participate virtually, without leaving their homes,” Uscher-Pines said. “This design will allow us to recruit more than 2,000 participants rapidly and to reach disadvantaged populations which are typically underrepresented in clinical trials.”

For this study, the RAND Corporation is recruiting participants through Ovia Health’s digital platform. The study is targeting study participants in the 17 states that have fewer than three board-certified lactation consultants per 1,000 births, and are therefore classified as underserved by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About half of the participants in the study will receive access to Pacify’s 24/7 video lactation support. The control group will receive the standard of care, which is in-person consults at the hospital and access to an informational ebook.

“We are bringing nearly a decade of experience providing maternal and pediatric telehealth services to this study,” said Pacify CEO George Brandes. “We have always believed in data-backed strategies that improve clinical care and address health disparities. We are honored to partner with such an internationally renowned organization as the RAND Corporation on this research, and excited for the results to help us provide new parents the care they need when and where they need it.”

The study builds on a feasibility study completed in 2019 and published in multiple peer-reviewed journals that demonstrated that telehealth is a viable option for women in rural areas. The previous study included over 200 participants from rural Pennsylvania. Participants in that study who used the Pacify app were more likely to breastfeed at 12 weeks than the control group (73% vs. 68%) and showed a higher rate of breastfeeding exclusivity (56% vs. 45%.) Moreover, 91% of participants who used Pacify said they were satisfied with the help they received.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth grew increasingly popular as a means of delivering care. In fact, 95% of health centers funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reported using telehealth during the pandemic, compared to 43% in 2019. But HRSA data also shows that rural areas in the U.S. struggled to provide telehealth services due to barriers such as lack of broadband access and others.

People interested in learning more about this study or participant eligibility should visit the study page on www.clinicaltrials.gov. 

About Pacify 
Pacify provides 24/7 infant feeding support to new and expecting parents. Pacify’s nationwide network of IBCLCs and registered nurses help families within minutes, resulting in reduced costs and improved outcomes for clients across the public health sector such as WIC, Departments of Health, home visiting programs, managed care organizations, hospitals, non-profit organizations and employers. Learn more about Pacify by visiting their website: https://www.pacify.com/.

About the RAND Corporation
The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.

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SOURCE Pacify Health