MO PQC Releases Report On Extended Postpartum Care
In the past four years of evaluating the causes of maternal deaths in Missouri, the Missouri Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board found that more maternal deaths occurred between 43 and 365 days postpartum than during pregnancy or the fourth trimester (through 12 weeks postpartum).
Given the challenges within the current maternal health landscape, further efforts are called for to redefine the spectrum of postpartum care, especially in light of a lack of current professional guidelines and standards of care past the fourth trimester.
In partnership with the Missouri Hospital Association and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative convened the Missouri Optimizing Postpartum Care Task Force, which developed The One-year Postpartum Pathway to further broaden the definition of the postpartum period and outline the standards for and continuity of postpartum care through the full 12 months post-delivery. An executive summary of the report also is available.
The MO PQC will host a webinar about “The One-Year Postpartum Pathway” at noon Monday, Dec. 15. All audiences interested in postpartum care are invited to register.
The Missouri Hospital Association is a nonprofit association in Jefferson City that represents 136 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public about health care issues.