Work

A Community-Centered Approach to Strengthening Perinatal Care Connections

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: PURPOSE: Racial disparities in maternal health outcomes are a public health crisis in the U.S. Adequate connection to pregnancy-related resources is a strategy for improving maternal outcomes (Trost et al., in Pregnancy-related deaths: Data from maternal mortality review committees in 36 States, 2017-2019. Centers for disease control and prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/erase-mm/data-mmrc.html , 2022), yet patients receive little support navigating complex systems. We tested the feasibility of a transition-of-care program that identifies individuals in early pregnancy who visit the emergency department (ED) and facilitates connections to needed healthcare and supportive resources. DESCRIPTION: This pilot used a regional Health Information Exchange (HIE) to identify people from EDs across four counties in South Jersey with evidence of a current or recent pregnancy and limited connection to care. Eligible patients were assigned to a partner site who contacted them to offer scheduling support for pregnancy-related care and connection to supportive resources. The pilot initially focused on prenatal care but expanded to include other supports based on patient needs. ASSESSMENT: Of the 2073 eligible patients, 896 were contacted, and 379 accepted one or more types of support. Support was accepted across racial, ethnic, age, and insurance groups. CONCLUSION: This pilot illustrated that a perinatal transition of care program from the ED to appropriate pregnancy-related services and resources is feasible. The ED provides a unique opportunity to identify and engage people early in pregnancy who might face barriers to accessing timely care. The model reduced reliance on self-navigation and addressed common access challenges.

Source: Maternal and Child Health Journal

DOI: 10.1007/s10995-025-04189-1

Authors: Michelle Adyniec, Erica Hartmann, Audrey Hendricks, Natasha Jogleker, Jhumna Sarkar, Natasha Dravid

Institutions: Temple University, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,590