Treatment patterns and outcomes in a low-risk nurse-midwifery practice

Childbirth, which represents more than 20% of all hospitalizations for women, is often accompanied by technical intervention, and identifying best practices is crucial. This study analyzed data entered into the Nurse-Midwifery Clinical Data Set (ACNM, 1990) to ascertain treatment patterns and associated outcomes, using Kane's Model of Treatment and Outcomes (Kane, R. L. [1997]. Understanding health care outcomes research. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, Inc.). Low-risk women (N = 510) received prenatal care from nurse-midwives and delivered at a university facility. Significant relationships were found between patient characteristics (age) and clinical factors (parity, body mass index, number of prenatal visits, comorbidities) and between treatment interventions (activity, intake, invasive monitoring) and outcomes (infant Apgar scores, complications).