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Improving Pregnancy Outcomes through Maternity Care Coordination: A Systematic Review
Aimee R Kroll-Desrosiers1, Sybil L Crawford2, Tiffany A Moore Simas3
1Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts.
Summary
Maternity care coordination (MCC) programs show promise, with about one-third of studies reporting improved infant birth weights. Further research is needed to understand the impact on patient and provider satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Maternal Health
- Healthcare Management
- Public Health
Background:
- Pregnancy care extends beyond traditional obstetrical services.
- Effective care coordination among multiple providers is crucial but challenging.
- Care coordination is linked to reduced costs, enhanced patient satisfaction, and fewer medical errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review maternity care coordination (MCC) programs.
- To examine the association between MCC programs and pregnancy outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar.
- Studies were included if they defined care coordination components and reported quantitative outcomes.
- Study quality was assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist.
Main Results:
- Thirty-three observational studies on MCC were reviewed.
- Common strategies included team-based decision-making and individual case management.
- Twelve of 27 studies examining infant birth weight reported significant improvements among participants.
Conclusions:
- Approximately one-third of reviewed MCC studies reported improved infant birth weights.
- The impact of MCC on patient and provider satisfaction in prenatal care remains unclear.
- Further investigation is needed to fully understand MCC's effect on prenatal care quality and utilization.
