The LSUMC-S Rural Infant Care Project to reduce infant mortality

The Louisiana State University Medical Center-Shreveport (LSUMC-S) Rural Infant Care Project (RICP) was initiated to reduce infant mortality in a five-parish, rural target area over a four-year period by improving the coordination of maternal and infant care providers. Three process measure based evaluation approaches were used. One approach examined cohorts of women attending clinics in parish health units. A second approach looked at hospital obstetric charts, and the third approach looked at admission and discharge data, as well as cost figures for NICU admissions from the target area. Results indicate improved coordination among providers and are linked to a national, outcome measure based evaluation for the national program, of which this project was one of nine. Problems of local evaluation efforts are also discussed.