The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women's Health (OWH) initiated an $8 million nationwide contract with Premier, Inc. to improve maternal health data and create a network of at least 200 hospitals to deploy clinical, evidence-based best practices in maternity care. The Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Data and Analysis Initiative builds upon HHS's Improving Maternal Health in America Initiative as outlined in the President's FY 2021 Budget. This vital data will inform policy and validate evidence-based practice to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
OWH's efforts are part of the HHS overarching plan to improve maternal health and reduce disparities that contribute to negative health outcomes. The Department recognizes the importance of data to identify opportunities, better target resources, and improve care delivery. Additionally, pregnancy-related mortality for Black women and American Indian and Alaska Native women are two to three times higher than for White, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific Islander women. Geographical disparities also exist as pregnant women living in rural America face barriers to maternity care. By collecting and analyzing maternal health data and identifying evidence-based actions, OWH aims to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce these disparities.
As part of the contract, Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Advocates' (MoMMA's) Voices, a coalition comprised of many organizations, will focus on the patient experience to ensure patients' voices are heard. Additionally, the work builds upon current HHS programs and efforts including the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM), supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative
The Office on Women’s Health recently launched the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative – a nationwide network of more than 200 hospitals dedicated to improving maternal and infant health outcomes and reducing disparities – as part of the HHS Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Data and Analysis Initiative.
Each hospital will capture more than 150 clinical and non-clinical measures that impact health outcomes. For example, clinical data pertaining to hypertension, infection, and COVID-19 will be collected and analyzed along with non-clinical data such as social determinants of health. The data will inform how care can be modified to meet diverse needs of each pregnant and/or postpartum patients. The HHS Perinatal Collaborative will implement and analyze evidence-based interventions to enhance quality improvement in clinical settings and advance health equity. It will be the first to evaluate how pregnancy affects overall population health by linking inpatient data of newborns to their mothers.
Map of hospitals participating in the HHS Perinatal Improvement Collaborative
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