Improve Health Inequities for Pregnant People using National Claims Data
SUMMARY
Maternal health inequities are a top public health priority, but have remained pervasive and persistent in the U.S. An urgent need exists for research that advances our understanding of these disparities to inform effective approaches. This study aims to determine what racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities exist in severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the U.S. and California, independent of comorbidities, and what clinical practices contribute to disparities in comorbidities and SMM. We will focus on the impact of clinical practices (i.e., labor and delivery management and prescription drug practices). This is a cohort study using national pregnancy-related claims data collected by Medicaid and all-payer methods data in California for approximately 4.5 million births. This project will overcome previous major research limitations and results will be highly informative for the growing number of initiatives aiming to advance maternal health equity.
THE TEAM
Deirdre Lyell, MD., Principal Investigator Professor Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Stephanie A. Leonard, Co-Principal Investigator, Instructor and Senior Biostatistician, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University Brian Bateman, MD., Co-Investigator Stanford Medicine’s Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Shantay R. Davies-Balch, Co-Investigator Founder of BLACK Wellness & Prosperity Center