Development of a Community- and Patient-Engaged Maternal Health Equity Toolkit for Hospitals

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Management
• Health Equity

Background:

• Persistent and widespread inequities in maternal health outcomes persist.
• Healthcare organizations are crucial for addressing the maternal health crisis but face implementation barriers.
• Racial disparities in maternal health outcomes remain a significant concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a comprehensive Maternal Health Equity Toolkit for hospital maternal care units.
• To provide a systems-level approach for advancing health equity in maternal care.
• To offer hospitals curated guidance and actionable steps for policy implementation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Maternal Health Equity Toolkit.
• Inclusion of curated guidance from leading professional, quality and safety, and advocacy organizations.
• Integration of detailed action steps for operationalizing change ideas.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive toolkit was developed to address maternal health inequities.
• The toolkit provides a systems-level approach for hospitals.
• Guidance and action steps are included to facilitate the implementation of policy changes.

Conclusions:

• The Maternal Health Equity Toolkit offers a structured approach for hospitals to tackle maternal health disparities.
• The toolkit aims to empower healthcare organizations to implement policy changes and advance health equity.
• This resource supports efforts to eliminate racial inequities and improve maternal health outcomes.