223519 Interconception care project of California: Public health advocates and providers collaborate to improve interconception care

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Diana E. Ramos, MD, MPH , Reproductive Health, Los Angeles County-Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
     
Background: For many women faced with limited access to care and other health barriers, the postpartum visit is often the only appointment before another pregnancy, making it the ideal time to address adverse pregnancy outcomes and perinatal complications to improve the health of the mother and her future pregnancies.

Objective: To optimize the postpartum visit by producing Postpartum Visit Care Guidelines for obstetric providers and companion patient information.

Methods: Through a cooperative agreement with March of Dimes, the American Congress of Obstetricians/Gyncologists, District IX (California) formed the Interconception Care Advisory Council (ICAC), a group of experts in their fields of medicine and public health. The group identified the 10 most common pregnancy and delivery complications and risk factors from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development hospital discharge data from 1999 to 2007. Over a period of nine months, the 29 ICAC members developed clinical algorithms and patient educational materials for these areas of focus.

Results: Evidence-based Postpartum Visit Care Guidelines were developed and summarized as clinical algorithms, and culturally sensitive and low literacy patient educational handouts were created. Both tools were reviewed and modified by key healthcare stakeholders. Final interconception recommendations will be shared with obstetric providers and public health advocates throughout California.

Conclusion: By providing interconception guidelines, the ICAC hopes to maximize care during the postpartum visit to improve maternal health and the outcomes of subsequent pregnancies. Collaboration between professional organizations, obstetric providers and women's health advocates is critical in successfully implementing interdisciplinary postpartum care recommendations.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify recommended elements of interconception care to incorporate into post-partum visits to maximize risk reduction and improve outcomes of subsequent pregnancies. 2. Describe the process of engaging health care providers and public health experts to develop clinical care guidelines. 3. Discuss how collaboration across interdisciplinary organizations is beneficial in formulating and implementing a health care project that will improve pregnancy outcomes across the state of California.

Keywords: Prenatal Care, Women's Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Diana Ramos, MD, MPH, FACOG, is the Chair of the Interconception Care Advisory Council (ICAC) of California as well as the co-chair of the Preconception Health Council of California (PHCC). In addition to her service to ICAC and PHCC, she is the Director of Maternal Child Health for the County of Los Angeles, Chair of ACOG, District IX’s Section 5, representing Los Angeles, a Committee Member of the Maternal Quality Care Collaborative for California, and a practicing Ob/Gyn. Dr. Ramos has committed her work to advancing prenatal and interconception care and overall patient safety.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5079.0: Preconception through parenting: Issues in maternal and child health