Effective strategies for interconception care: A learning collaborative model

The National Healthy Start program has successfully been delivering services to women at high risk of

poor birth outcomes for more than 17 years. A set of nine systems-building and service components are

required of the local Healthy Start projects. One aspect of service provision that has gained attention is the

concept of interconception care—the interval between two pregnancies—as a prime opportunity to reduce

risks through interventions to improve the health of women and their future babies. While many professional organizations have established clinical practice guidelines for specific elements of preconception care, there are no comprehensive tools for clinicians and care coordinators that include risk assessment, health promotion, and interventions. Moreover, work on community-based interventions and health promotion has only begun.

Started in October 2008, the Healthy Start Interconception Care Learning project is expected to advance the quality and efficacy of the interconception care components operated by Healthy Start grantees. Through the development of a blueprint to design the learning collaborative, informed by an expert panel, the ICL project consists of a set of three face-to-face meetings spaced approximately nine months apart to give Healthy Start grantees tools by which to improve interconception care in their local communities. Between each meeting are action periods in which grantees put into practice what they have learned and share experiences through web-based communication. Our approach will inform Healthy Start grantees, HRSA/MCHB, and experts across the country seeking to develop and implement evidence-based practices for high-risk women in the interconception period.