In the news, the release of the 2024 March of Dimes report on maternity care access sparks conversations in the industry about maternal health care strategies: what's working, what's not, and how we build on the positive data the report reveals. New research explores the benefits of emerging strategies like maternal health navigation and AI-supported care for closing racial disparities and lowering the US mortality rates. Plus, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy remain a primary cause of concern as instances of deadly high blood pressure increase.
9/20, NPR: Deadly high blood pressure during pregnancy is on the rise
9/18, Contemporary OB/GYN: Increase in ED visits for hypertensive disorders from 2006 to 2020 reported
In a recent study, reported rates on emergency department utilization for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and the postpartum period were higher in 2020 than 2006, with rates especially high among non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients.
9/10, The New York Times: Doctors Give Black Women Unneeded C-Sections to Fill Operating Rooms, Study Suggests
Study finds that healthy Black women with low risk factors were far more likely to get C-sections than white women with similar medical histories.
9/9, Tech Target: Merck advocates fixes for cardiovascular disease in pregnancy
Merck supports better solutions for maternal health through a strategic grant making initiative called "Merck for Mothers," which invests in developing industry-leading, evidence-based clinical standards aimed at addressing cardiac disease in pregnancy.
Deloitte, March of Dimes Maternity Care Deserts Dashboard
An interactive dashboard to understand and filter new data from the March of Dimes report on maternity care access.
🎧 Becker's Payer Issues Podcast: Addressing Maternal and Infant Health Disparities: Insights from Dr. Lisa Saul of UnitedHealthcare
New Research and Resources:
March of Dimes: Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US
2024 report shows that more than 5.5 million women live in counties with no or limited access to maternity care services, a situation driven by recent hospital closures and reductions in obstetric services.
Explores the transformative role of AI in maternal healthcare, focusing on its applications in the early detection of pregnancy complications, personalized care, and remote monitoring through AI-driven technologies.
AJMC, Maternal Navigation: For the Common Good
Provides an overview of the maternal health crisis and the role of prenatal care and premature birth in this escalating problem. The article then proposes maternal navigation for pregnant patients who chronically miss prenatal care appointments as one way to reduce premature births and associated health care costs.