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Background: Recent years have brought substantial declines in geographic access to abortion facilities and maternity care across the US. The purpose of this study was to identify the reproductive health consequences of living in a county without access to comprehensive reproductive health care services. Methods: We analyzed National Center for Health Statistics data on all live births occurring in the US in 2020. We used data on locations of abortion facilities and availability of maternity care in order to classify counties by level of access to comprehensive reproductive health care services and defined comprehensive reproductive health care deserts as counties that did not have an abortion facility in the county or in any neighboring county and did not have any maternity care practitioners. We fit modified Poisson regression models with generalized estimating equations to estimate the degree to which living in a comprehensive reproductive health care desert was associated with receipt of timely and adequate prenatal care and risk of preterm birth, controlling for individual‐level and county‐level characteristics. Results: In 2020, one third of counties in the US were comprehensive reproductive health care deserts (n = 1082), and 136,272 births occurred in these counties. In adjusted models, there was no difference in prenatal health care use (timeliness or adequacy of care) between persons in comprehensive reproductive health care deserts and those with full access to care, but the risk of preterm birth was significantly elevated (aRR =1.09, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.13). Conclusions: Lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health care services may increase the incidence of preterm birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe US freestanding birth center models of prenatal care and to examine how the components of this care contribute to birthing people's confidence in their ability to have a physiologic birth. Design: This was a qualitative descriptive study utilizing semi‐structured interviews with birth center midwives. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, constant comparative method and consensus coding to ensure rigor. Setting and Participants: Midwives from six urban and rural freestanding birth centers in a Midwestern US state were interviewed. Twelve birth center midwives participated. Findings Six themes emerged: the birth center physical space and organization of care, dimensions of midwifery care within the birth center, continuity of care and seamless service, the empowered birthing person, physiologic birth as normative, and the hospital paradigm and US cultures of birth. Key Conclusions: We identified significant components of birth center models of prenatal care that midwives believe enhance birthing people's confidence for physiologic childbirth. These components may be considered for application to other settings and may improve perinatal care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically affected pregnant people's prenatal care, labor, and delivery experiences. Given these rapid changes, providers have needed to be proactive in sharing information about COVID‐19‐related care impacts. The purpose of this study was to investigate: (a) Whether patient demographics or disrupted care (eg, canceled appointments and rapid shift to telehealth) is associated with patient‐reported information sharing from the providers; and (b) Whether patient‐reported provider information sharing or disruptions to care are associated with patient satisfaction with provider. Methods: Data come from a convenience sample of 1999 pregnant people living in the United States who completed an online survey between April 16 and May 7 2020. Results: Thirty‐eight percent of participants said that their provider had not discussed how the pandemic would affect their care during pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Participants with lower education, less income, or whose appointments had been canceled or rescheduled because of the pandemic were significantly less likely to report information sharing. Provider satisfaction was significantly lower among participants who did not report information sharing, those who had appointments by way of telehealth, and those who reported that all their appointments had been rescheduled/canceled. Discussion: At the beginning of the pandemic, there were significant socioeconomic inequities in reported information sharing by the providers, which in turn was negatively associated with provider satisfaction. Providers need to be aware of the role implicit bias may play in information sharing—both generally and during public health crises—and consider ways to reduce the impacts of disrupted care delivery on patient satisfaction. If left unaddressed, perceived poor provider communication and associated low satisfaction with providers could contribute to adverse perinatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Variations in care for pregnant women have been reported to affect pregnancy outcomes. Methods This study examined data for all 3136 Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled at American Association of Birth Centers ( AABC) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Strong Start sites who gave birth between 2012 and 2014. Using the AABC Perinatal Data Registry, descriptive statistics were used to evaluate socio-behavioral and medical risks, and core perinatal quality outcomes. Next, the 2082 patients coded as low medical risk on admission in labor were analyzed for effective care and preference sensitive care variations. Finally, using binary logistic regression, the associations between selected care processes and cesarean delivery were explored. Results Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled at AABC sites had diverse socio-behavioral and medical risk profiles and exceeded quality benchmarks for induction, episiotomy, cesarean, and breastfeeding. Among medically low-risk women, the model demonstrated effective care variations including 82% attendance at prenatal education classes, 99% receiving midwifery-led prenatal care, and 84% with midwifery- attended birth. Patient preferences were adhered to with 83% of women achieving birth at their preferred site of birth, and 95% of women using their preferred infant feeding method. Elective hospitalization in labor was associated with a 4-times greater risk of cesarean birth among medically low-risk childbearing Medicaid beneficiaries. Conclusions The birth center model demonstrates the capability to achieve the triple aims of improved population health, patient experience, and value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]