The maternal mortality and infant mortality rates in the US continually rank among the worst in the developed world, with both rates coming in even higher within the minority populations. Even after years of research, these numbers remain on the rise. Addressing the problem will require an ecosystem-wide approach to improved care access and health education.
Understanding maternal health disparities in the US: Challenges and trends
The Commonwealth Fund reported that in 2023, the maternal mortality rate in the US leveled off from pandemic-era increases to a rate that was still triple that of other high-income countries. Racial disparities have also persisted. Compared to non-Hispanic white patients, non-Hispanic Black maternal mortality comes in at almost three times the average, and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Natives at 2.3 times higher.
There are several reasons experts believe the US maternal mortality rate has worsened for a decade while other nations have improved. These include:
- Lack of access to equitable prenatal care, particularly among the Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander and Black communities.
- Gaps in insurance coverage that leave many mothers without adequate post-partum care.
Patient education is fundamental to effective maternity care
As the government pursues systemic change, there are steps that providers and payers can implement immediately in patient and member interactions to help improve maternal care and maternal health equity.
An American Medical Association Update describes how the simple interventions of remote blood pressure monitoring and preeclampsia awareness can go a long way to reduce harms.
Using evidence-based content in health tech is critically important. This includes patient education, which functions like an ally in addressing maternal health disparities in the US. It helps recruit patients as members of the care team, equipping them to ask the best questions and the find the best information is getting out there.”available.
Education and engagement that are relatable to patients’ lives, situations, and cultures can also go a long way toward building trust. Patients can be overwhelmed by the mass of information available about pregnancy. Encouraging better behaviors starts with authentic ways of building trust and delivering education and knowledge over time.
Supporting healthy pregnancies: The role of health plans in maternity care education
Working directly with members, payers have the ability to deploy engagement and education programs to positively impact outcomes.
Member education throughout the pregnancy journey
As an example, longitudinal content on pregnancy in the UpToDate® Journeys solution, focuses on intentional diversity. New and revised content in written, visual, and multimedia patient-facing materials help address the glaring disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity among non-white patients.
UpToDate Journeys offers educational content from pregnancy, through childbirth, and three months post-partum. It meets members where they are, bringing them content that fits their point in their pregnancy journey while preparing them to understand the valuable information they receive from providers and caregivers.
This approach addresses patients less from a clinical perspective, and more from an allyship or supportive approach, including:
- Explaining a patient’s surgical and medical choices.
- Helping them understand where and when they have control.
- Introducing what their body might experience.
- Walking through options of support caregivers like doulas, their cost and contributions.
It gives power back to the person giving birth through relatable content that addresses potential past negative experiences, helping patients ask the right questions and make decisions that feel right to them.
Helping patients find a voice
Part of helping patients find their voice means addressing the disparity in Black maternal mortality head on.
The solution uses an African American voice over artist to deliver maternity and postpartum content. While this doesn’t replace the one-to-one connection of someone on the care team, it can provide content in a voice that feels familiar. This is just one step in addressing bias in a way that’s honest and based on evidence.
While patient education is by no means a cure-all, member engagement materials that are developed using evidence and principles of inclusion can bridge certain divides and address maternal health disparities in the US.
Learn more about member education and engagement solutions for care management and download the whitepaper “Filling the healthcare gap: A care management opportunity” to gain insights on supporting members with health education materials.