Virtual doula support for people giving birth in rural areas
The Impact of Virtual Doula Services on Birth Outcomes in Rural Communities
This project sees if remote doula support delivered by phone or app helps pregnant people in rural communities have safer births, fewer cesareans, and better breastfeeding outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11047327 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you may be randomly assigned to receive virtual doula support delivered by phone, video, and messaging throughout pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period or to receive usual care. The research team will recruit pregnant people from rural U.S. communities and collect information from surveys and medical records about delivery type, breastfeeding duration, and experiences of care. The study uses a mixed-methods approach combining a randomized design with qualitative interviews to understand how virtual support works in real life. This project builds on earlier telelactation work that improved breastfeeding and applies those methods to test virtual doula services.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant people living in participating rural U.S. communities who plan to deliver at study hospitals and are willing to use phone- or app-based virtual support are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without reliable phone or internet access, those already receiving continuous in-person doula care or intensive clinical services, or those not delivering at participating sites may not receive benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, virtual doula services could expand access to childbirth support in rural areas, help reduce cesarean rates, and improve breastfeeding duration.
How similar studies have performed: Previous randomized work on telelactation showed improved breastfeeding duration, but rigorous evidence for virtual doula services is limited.
Where this research is happening
Santa Monica, United States
- Rand Corporation — Santa Monica, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Uscher-Pines, Lori — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Uscher-Pines, Lori
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.