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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Maternal health and prenatal care

"How Do We Get to Them?" Insights on Preconception and Interconception Health for Women in Rural Northwest Ohio
Examines preconception and interconception health concerns for women of a reproductive age living in rural Hardin County. Analyzes semistructured interviews with 14 community participants and discusses 3 themes related to women's health: available resources, community observations about social determinants and access, and potential health intervention strategies.
Author(s): Akia D. Clark, Natalie A. DiPietro Mager
Citation: Ohio Journal of Public Health, 5(1), 85-93
Date: 08/2022
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What Happens When a Hospital Closes?
Podcast episode discussing the impact of rural hospital closures and obstetrics units on their communities. Explores why facilities and units close and the impact of closures on mortality, prenatal care, maternal and infant health outcomes, and access to quality care.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Freakonomics
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Improving Access and Quality of Maternal and Infant Services in Rural Iowa through a Regional Center of Excellence
Profiles St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, which serves six counties in west central Iowa. Discusses the hospital's efforts to improve maternal health and birth outcomes, including improving care coordination, increasing access to support and behavioral health services, and promoting better access to care in the region.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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An Algorithm Using Administrative Data to Measure Adverse Childhood Experiences (ADM‐ACE)
Article discussing the development and methodology of an administrative data tool to measure adverse childhood experiences (ADM-ACE), which researchers applied to 2018 claims and enrollment data for the Tennessee Medicaid program (TennCare). Presents ADM-ACE statistics drawn from the Tennessee data, and outlines how measures of adverse childhood experiences were defined and applied in the study. Offers rural/urban comparisons for rates of ADM-ACE prevalence.
Author(s): Laura E. Henkhaus, Gilbert Gonzales, Melinda B. Buntin
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(4), 963-972
Date: 08/2022
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Inequities in Availability of Evidence-Based Birth Supports to Improve Perinatal Health for Socially Vulnerable Rural Residents
Examines the social risk factors rural residents face related to maternal and infant mortality. Utilizes data from 285 rural hospitals across the United States that have inpatient birthing centers to measure the availability of maternal and postpartum supports such as breastfeeding support groups, nurse home visiting, childbirth education classes, and more. Evaluates each hospital's social vulnerability index (SVI) on the county-level to determine the level of birth support inequities in rural areas and for residents who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
Author(s): Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Julia D. Interrante, Alyssa H. Fritz, Mariana S. Tuttle, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Citation: Children, 9(7), 1077
Date: 07/2022
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Telehealth Strategies for the Delivery of Maternal Healthcare
Presents a rapid review of studies published since 2015 on the use of telehealth for maternal care, highlighting findings related to clinical outcomes, maternal and obstetric health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other measures. Discusses maternal telehealth's potential as a supplement and as a replacement for in-person care.
Author(s): Amy G. Cantor, Rebecca M. Jungbauer, Annette M. Totten, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Experiences with Use of Technology and Telehealth among Women with Prenatal Depression
Study examining the experiences of 17 women with prenatal depression who participated in videoconference intervention group meetings managed by the Utah Telehealth Network. Discusses positive and negative experiences with technology and group meetings, and notes the applicability of video-based telehealth interventions for increasing access to behavioral healthcare for rural populations.
Author(s): Uma D. Parameswaran, Ryoko Pentecost, Marcia Williams, Marcela Smid, Gwen Latendresse
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22, 571
Date: 07/2022
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County-Level Availability of Obstetric Care and Economic Implications of Hospital Closures on Obstetric Care
Policy brief providing data on the economic changes in counties that lost obstetric care facilities between 2012-2019. Describes demographic and economic differences between counties with or without obstetric care facilities. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location and a county-level map with shadings showing availability of obstetric services and hospital closures from 2012-2019.
Author(s): Andrew L. Owen, Alison Davis, Simona Balazs
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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Wiping Away the Tears: Addressing Increasing Death in Rural America
Examines rural mortality trends and discusses the impact of the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, as well as rural maternal and infant mortality. Describes federally-funded efforts to address rural disparities.
Author(s): Whitney Zahnd
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Advancing Rural Health: Illinois Small and Rural Hospitals
Discusses the overall impact of the 86 small and rural hospitals in Illinois. Includes data on hospital utilization, patient demographics, economic impacts, associated community engagement and healthcare services, workforce and specialty care issues, and more. Provides county-level maps on obstetric services and location of small and rural hospitals.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Health and Hospital Association
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