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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedWilson BL, Butler RJ
Identifying optimal labor and delivery nurse staffing: the case of cesarean births and nursing hours.
Numerous studies have identified a relationship between nurse staffing and adverse patient outcomes in medical / surgical patient populations. However, little is known about the impact of labor and delivery (L&D) nurse staffing and adverse birth outcomes, such as unintended cesarean delivery, in low-risk term-gestation women. In this study the investigators examined nurse staffing patterns on the likelihood of cesarean sections (C-sections) among low- risk, full gestation births and provided a testing framework to distinguish optimal from ineffective levels of nurse staffing.
AHRQ-funded; HS024607.
Citation: Wilson BL, Butler RJ .
Identifying optimal labor and delivery nurse staffing: the case of cesarean births and nursing hours.
Nurs Outlook 2021 Jan-Feb;69(1):84-95. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2020.07.003..
Keywords: Provider: Nurse, Provider, Workforce, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Quality of Care, Risk, Women
Lundsberg LS, Main EK, Lee HC
Low-interventional approaches to intrapartum care: hospital variation in practice and associated factors.
This study compared hospitals in California with low and high-interventional practices for labor and delivery. A total of 185 California hospitals completed a survey of intrapartum care, including questions on low- versus high-interventional practices. They identified 2 distinct groups of hospitals that tended to use low- or high-interventional practices. Hospitals that used low-interventional practices tended to have midwife-led or physician-midwife collaborative labor management or were in rural locations. High-interventional practice hospitals had a higher proportion of women covered by Medicaid or other safety-net programs as well as hospitals located in counties with higher liability insurance premiums. Both sets of hospitals had comparable morbidity rates but low-intervention hospitals had lower rates of cesarean birth and episiotomies. Only one-quarter of hospitals were found to use low-interventional practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS023801.
Citation: Lundsberg LS, Main EK, Lee HC .
Low-interventional approaches to intrapartum care: hospital variation in practice and associated factors.
J Midwifery Womens Health 2020 Jan;65(1):33-44. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13017..
Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women, Maternal Care, Hospitals, Quality of Care
Vanderlaan J, Rochat R, Williams B
Associations between hospital maternal service level and delivery outcomes.
This study explored the associations between delivery hospital self-reported level of maternal service, as defined by the American Hospital Association, and both maternal and neonatal outcomes among women at high maternal risk, as defined by the Obstetric Comorbidity Index. The investigators concluded that for the group of pregnant women in need of maternal transfer, delivery hospital self-reported level of maternal care was not associated with the odds of poor maternal or neonatal outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024655.
Citation: Vanderlaan J, Rochat R, Williams B .
Associations between hospital maternal service level and delivery outcomes.
Womens Health Issues 2019 May - Jun;29(3):252-58. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2019.02.004..
Keywords: Maternal Care, Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Women, Outcomes, Hospitals, Quality of Care, Newborns/Infants, Mortality
Milla C, Guo M, Chang A
Patient perspectives in comparing hospitals for childbirth: insights from Hawai'i.
Childbirth is a national priority area for healthcare quality improvement. Patient perspectives are increasingly valued in healthcare, yet Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) perspectives of healthcare quality are often understudied, particularly from individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). In this study, the goal was to understand factors that consumers in Hawai'i, including AAPI and those with LEP, used to compare patient care in hospitals, especially for childbirth.
AHRQ-funded; HS021903.
Citation: Milla C, Guo M, Chang A .
Patient perspectives in comparing hospitals for childbirth: insights from Hawai'i.
Hawaii J Med Public Health 2019 Mar;78(3):89-97..
Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy, Hospitals, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Cultural Competence, Women