The Use of a Medical Center-Based Outpatient Breastfeeding Support Program with Telelactation to Provide Ongoing Breastfeeding Support to a Diverse Patient Population

Background: Patients from low-income, minoritized communities have limited access to outpatient breastfeeding support with International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Telelactation may increase access particularly when appointments can be self-scheduled. Objective: To describe a medical center-based, outpatient breastfeeding support program that includes telelactation and serves a diverse patient population. Methods and Study Design: A retrospective electronic chart review was performed for patients with in-person or telelactation visit types between April 2020 and December 2021. Impact of demographics (language, race/ethnicity, insurance) on scheduling patterns (self-scheduled versus traditionally scheduled), visit reasons, and impact of initial visit type and reason on subsequent follow-ups were determined. Feeding practice-to-feeding goal ratios were compared between initial and last visit to determine if breastfeeding goals were met. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, chi-square, and paired t-tests were performed. Results: Two thousand twenty-three patients (37.9% Spanish-speakers, 76.6% Latinx; 8.0% black/non-Latinx, 79.0% publicly insured) made 2,791 visits, of which 50.6% were for telelactation. Self-scheduling resulted in decreased no show rates (25.3% versus 42.8%, p < 0.001). Commercially insured patients had greater odds of self-scheduling versus publicly insured (adjusted odds ratio: 9.22; 95% confidence interval, CI [6.27-13.57]) with no impact of race/ethnicity or language. Reasons for visit differed slightly by initial visit type. Practice-to-feeding goal ratios increased regardless of initial visit type: telelactation visit (0.84 to 0.88 [difference 0.04; 95% CI: 0.006-0.066; p = 0.017]); and in-person visit (0.77 to 0.84 [difference 0.07; 95% CI: 0.044-0.11 p < 0.001]). Conclusions: Telelactation as part of a medical center-based outpatient breastfeeding support program is a promising modality for both initial and follow-up visits. Self-scheduling decreased no show rates.