More than 200 hospitals participate in HHS program targeting maternal, infant health outcomes
HHS said it's the first program to evaluate how pregnancy affects overall population health by linking inpatient data of newborns to their mothers.
Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez/Getty Images
In a bid to reduce health disparities by improving maternal and infant health outcomes, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced that more than 200 hospitals have signed on to a new program, Perinatal Improvement Collaborative, a contract with Premier.
The new network, focused almost exclusively on reducing such disparities, is composed of hospitals from all 50 states. HHS says it's the first to evaluate how pregnancy affects overall population health by linking inpatient data of newborns to their mothers.
The collaborative was developed as a part of the HHS Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Data and Analysis Initiative to enhance maternal health data, improve performance and strengthen evidence-based practices to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
The collaborative's two-pronged approach includes capturing and integrating patient and clinical care data – from both mother and infant – to understand drivers of preventable harm and death, and improve measurement and comparison across geographies and populations. Using these resources, the collaborative will attempt to implement and analyze evidence-based interventions to drive clinical quality improvement and advance health equity.
Each hospital in the collaborative will capture more than 150 measures to understand clinical and nonclinical factors that impact overall maternal and infant health outcomes. There is an overarching focus on health disparities. Specific areas of focus include hypertension and other disorders, infection, and COVID-19.
To advance health equity, the collaborative hopes to develop strategies to reduce persistent racial, ethnic and geographic disparities and examine how care may be tailored to mothers with diverse needs. The end goal: Reduce risks for the mothers and babies most susceptible to poor health outcomes.
The collaborative will investigate the outcomes of mothers and babies individually and together as a dyad. The data, said HHS, will shed new light on whether the direct causes of maternal morbidity and mortality increase a newborn's risk of lifelong health challenges. The data will also aid in assessing whether existing health risks for women prevent future health problems for both women and their babies.
The effort will be supported by an external advisory panel comprising more than 20 expert clinicians and thought leaders, and patient partners from MoMMA's Voices, a coalition of advocacy organizations focused on leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity.
THE LARGER TREND
Making inroads in addressing maternal health has been a priority for the current Congress, which in August advanced a budget resolution that allows for investments in healthcare that include sexual and reproductive care.
The resolution unlocked the reconciliation process, by which Congress can expand Medicaid – providing health coverage to an estimated four million people who are currently uninsured, reduce costs, address the maternal health struggles and make more investments in health equity.
Planned Parenthood president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said at the time that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fragility of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Private insurers have also made some moves in this direction. In late June, UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum awarded $1.4 million in maternal health grants, pledging to provide pro bono services to five community organizations aimed at improving maternal health outcomes and increasing healthcare access for underserved populations.
The grants are part of several initiatives by Optum and UnitedHealth Group to address maternal health outcomes and disparities across the U.S. They include a $3 million contribution to help improve access to prenatal care in underserved communities in New York and a $2.6 million grant in Nevada to reduce maternal health disparities and help grow the state's OB-GYN and family medicine physician workforce.
The Lancet found that the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of all developed countries, and is the only industrialized nation with a rising rate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of pregnancy-related deaths are thought to be preventable, and patients of color face the greatest risk of death and complication. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism and implicit bias.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
