A New Ripple Making Big Waves: The Centering Model of Group Health Care

Centering prenatal group care is an evidence-based model of health care that shows promise for better perinatal outcomes and promotes individual empowerment and community building. Instead of short appointments that rush both patients and providers, patients with similar health needs meet with their provider for two hours. In this group session, patients have a health assessment, discuss topics of interest and concern, and develop relationships to support each other. Centering patients, empowered by collecting their own health data and contributing to collective wisdom, are well prepared to collaborate with their provider in care decisions. Facilitated information sharing sets the stage for greater understanding and personal accountability for health practices and life style choices. Patient evaluation scores and provider reports indicate very high satisfaction rates with groups.

Beyond the easy to understand, “feel good” nature of this model is the even more exciting findings for dramatically improved health care outcomes. A randomized clinical trial demonstrated that pregnant women receiving care in groups had a 33% reduction in premature birth compared to those receiving traditional care in the same setting. Furthermore, in a matched cohort study women in groups who did experience preterm birth had infants that were an average of two weeks older and one pound larger than their matched pair. Centering group care is on the radar screen for providers interested in the most efficient and effective ways to deliver health care and interest is spreading nationally and internationally. The Centering model is developed for prenatal, well-woman/well-baby, and diabetes care.