Bridging the Gap: Reimagining Quality Improvement to Address Healthcare Disparities

Area of Science:

• Maternal health
• Health equity
• Healthcare disparities

Background:

• Maternal morbidity and racial disparities persist in healthcare.
• Bundles and collaboratives show potential for improvement.
• Intentional equity embedding is crucial for success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the role of equity in bundles and collaboratives for reducing maternal morbidity and racial disparities.
• To highlight the importance of data disaggregation for identifying and targeting inequities.

Main Methods:

• Review of national frameworks and successful statewide implementations.
• Analysis of data disaggregation strategies by race, ethnicity, and language.
• Focus on perinatal quality collaboratives and patient safety bundles.

Main Results:

• Bundles and collaboratives are effective when equity is intentionally integrated.
• Data disaggregation by race, ethnicity, and language effectively identifies disparities.
• Targeted interventions based on disaggregated data can address inequities.

Conclusions:

• Equity-focused design and implementation are essential for bundles and collaboratives.
• Data disaggregation is a key tool for achieving health equity in maternal care.
• Successful models exist for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.