A maternity care home model of enhanced prenatal care to reduce preterm birth rate and NICU use
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is a 50-year old, health-related, public university in the Texas Tech University System. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, with multiple campuses located across Texas.
Abstract
Background
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) funded 182 US health care sites to reduce preterm birth rates by enhancing prenatal care for at-risk women. As a funded site, the enhanced prenatal care maternity care home (MCH) model was implemented from 2013 to 2018 for 1042 Medicaid-eligible pregnant women.
Methods
This retrospective study evaluated the impact of enhanced services on preterm birth risk reduction. Certified community health workers provided enhanced services from enrollment through six weeks postpartum. Participants attending enhanced intake and third-trimester prenatal visits comprised the Active Group (N = 632). Participants missing third-trimester visits, but participating in enhanced intake and postpartum visits, comprised the Inactive Group (N = 128). Lost Group participants attended only intake visits (N = 282). Data were collected through CMS-developed intake, third-trimester, postpartum, and exit forms. Descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, and the chi-square tests analyzed the impact of risk factors, participant characteristics, and program participation on birth outcomes.
Results
Active Group compared with Inactive and Lost Group participants experienced significantly lower preterm birth rates (7.64% vs 22.48% and 15.82%, P < 0.001) and therefore a significantly lower NICU admission rate compared with Inactive and Lost Groups (2.82% vs 11.85% and 5.47%, P < 0.001).
Conclusions
The MCH model of enhanced prenatal care reduced preterm birth and NICU admission rates for Active Group participants. The Black Active Group participant preterm birth rate was not significantly different than other Active Group rates, but was lower than Black Inactive and Lost Group rates.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
