The Cost of Nurse-Midwifery Care: Use of Interventions, Resources, and Associated Costs in the Hospital Setting

"You and Me Do It for the Love of Teaching": Exploring the Expansion of Clinical Training Opportunities for Midwives

PURPOSE

To better understand the barriers and facilitators to precepting midwifery students from across the healthcare ecosystem in New Jersey.

BACKGROUND

Growing the midwifery workforce is a crucial step to alleviating disparately poor perinatal health outcomes and expanding access to care. Difficulty recruiting and retaining preceptors has been identified as a barrier to graduating more midwives.

METHODS

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 individuals involved in different stages of the clinical training process: midwives, physicians, and administrators. Transcripts were coded using the tenets of qualitative description and thematic analysis. Analysis was guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework.

RESULTS

The following themes were identified and organized within the domains identified by our conceptual framework. Evidence: (mis)understanding the benefits of midwifery care and impacts on patient care. Context: the time and energy it takes to precept and practice considerations. Facilitations: developing the next generation of healthcare providers and the quiet and ever-present role of money in healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study support the importance of approaching midwifery precepting as a multifaceted endeavor, one that necessitates the full support of individuals within many different roles in an organization.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Getting buy-in from various levels of the healthcare ecosystem requires a flexible approach but must include a targeted effort toward showing the value of midwifery care in terms of patient outcomes, satisfaction, and cost.

Associations Between State Practice Regulations and Access to Midwifery Care

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to identify associations between state policies and access to midwifery care. Identifying policies that facilitate increased access to midwives will help policymakers determine the best methods for increasing access to midwives in their states.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the county level as a secondary analysis of National Vital Statistics data from the Natality online database. The unit of analysis was counties with populations of at least 100,000, and the outcome was the proportion of births attended by midwives in 2019. The potential predictors of increased access to midwifery care were independent midwife licensure, independent midwife prescribing, midwife access to hospital medical staff membership, and midwife Medicaid parity. Medicaid provider resources and state statutes verified Medicaid reimbursement rates and eligibility for hospital medical staff privileges. Each state was categorized as an independent or restricted licensure state according to data from the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Data for the control variable, the presence of a midwifery education program, were gathered from the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. The analysis was conducted as a Poisson regression.

RESULTS

There was no association between independent licensing and increased access among all states. Stratifying the analysis by independent licensing law revealed that all but one policy was related to higher rates of midwife attendance at birth. Maximum Medicaid reimbursement correlated with greater access regardless of licensing status. The rate of midwife-attended births in independent licensing states grew as the number of potential predictors in a county increased.

DISCUSSION

Regulatory policies beyond independent licensing are associated with women's access to midwifery services. In independent licensing states, adopting additional policies favorable to midwives may strengthen access to midwifery. Policymakers and regulators can use these findings to identify strategies for accelerating the expansion of midwifery access in their states.

Expanding midwifery care in the United States: Implications for clinical outcomes and cost

BACKGROUND

This study compared clinical and financial outcomes for low-risk birthing people between those attended by midwives and those attended by obstetricians during hospital births.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of births from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020 at hospitals participating in a perinatal quality improvement collaborative, Obstetrical Care Outcomes Assessment Program (OB COAP), in the Northwest region of the United States and estimated risk ratios using a multivariate regression approach with a modified Poisson binomial for mode of delivery, labor interventions, and newborn outcomes comparing midwife-led to obstetrician-led care. Using publicly available data on average costs of vaginal and cesarean births, we then extrapolated the cost differences in care between midwives and obstetricians.

RESULTS

Births in the midwife group were less likely to be associated with induction (17.6% vs. 20.3% RR 0.74; 95% CI 0.70-0.78), epidural use (58.9% vs. 76.3% RR 0.78; 95% CI 0.77-0.80), and episiotomy (2.2% vs. 3.4% RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.58-0.81). Cesarean birth was also lower in the midwifery group (7.8% vs. 12.3% RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.62-0.73), without a corresponding increase in risk in adverse neonatal outcomes. We estimated that expanding midwifery care to 100% of low-risk births across the United States could save as much as $340 million per year.

CONCLUSIONS

Midwifery care is associated with a lower risk of cesarean birth and other interventions versus care provided by obstetricians and is therefore likely lower-cost.

Leadership Link: Evaluation of an Online Leadership Curriculum for Certified Midwives and Certified Nurse-Midwives

INTRODUCTION

Midwifery leadership is vital for improving maternal health outcomes, yet limited leadership training opportunities exist. This study evaluated acceptability and preliminary outcomes of Leadership Link, a scalable online learning program that aims to increase midwives' leadership competencies.

METHODS

The program evaluation study enrolled early-career midwives (<10 years since certification) into an online leadership curriculum using the LinkedIn Learning platform. The curriculum consisted of 10 courses (approximately 11 hours) of self-paced, non-health care-specific leadership content supplemented with brief midwifery-specific introductions from midwifery leaders. A preprogram, postprogram, and follow-up study design was used to evaluate changes in 16 self-assessed leadership abilities, self-perception as a leader, and resilience. Data were also collected on the application of leadership skills acquired through, and career advancements attributed to, program participation.

RESULTS

A total of 186 individuals activated LinkedIn Learning accounts. Almost half (41.9%) completed the full curriculum. Satisfaction was high, with 83.3% of postprogram survey respondents reporting the program was "probably" or "definitely" worth the time invested. Seventy-six participants (40.9%) provided matched pre- and immediate postprogram survey data on at least some of the 16 self-assessed leadership abilities. All 16 abilities showed statistically significant increases in pre- to postprogram mean scores, ranging from 6.4% to 32.5%. Both self-perception as a leader and resilience scores significantly increased from baseline. More than 87% of postprogram and follow-up survey respondents reported having applied new or improved leadership abilities to at least a small degree. Fifty-eight percent of follow-up survey respondents reported at least one midwifery career advancement, of whom 43.6% attributed the advancement, at least in part, to Leadership Link.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that the online Leadership Link curriculum is acceptable and may be effective in improving midwives' leadership capacity, potentially enhancing career opportunities and engagement in system change.

Kairos care in a Chronos world: Midwifery care as model of resistance and accountability in public health settings

BACKGROUND

In the United States (US), pregnancy-related mortality is 2-4 times higher for Black and Indigenous women irrespective of income and education. The integration of midwifery as a fundamental component of standard maternity services has been shown to improve health outcomes and service user satisfaction, including among underserved and minoritized groups. Nonetheless, there remains limited uptake of this model in the United States. In this study, we examine a series of interdependent factors that shape how midwifery care operates in historically disenfranchised communities within the Unites States.

METHODS

Using data collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the purpose of this study was to examine the ways midwives recount, describe, and understand the relationships that drive their work in a publicly funded urban health care setting serving minoritized communities. Using a qualitative exploratory research design, guided by critical feminist theory, twenty full-scope midwives working in a large public health care network participated. Data were thematically analyzed using Braun & Clarke's inductive thematic analysis to interpret data and inductively identify patterns in participants' experiences.

FINDINGS

The overarching theme "Kairos care in a Chronos World" captures the process of providing health-promoting, individualized care in a system that centers measurement, efficiency, and pathology. Five subthemes support the central theme: (1) the politics of progress, (2) normalizing pathologies, (3) cherished connections, (4) protecting the experience, and (5) caring for the social body. Midwives used relationships to sustain their unique care model, despite the conflicting demands of dominant (and dominating) medical models.

CONCLUSION

This study offers important insight into how midwives use a Kairos approach to maternity care to enhance quality and safety. In order to realize equitable access to optimal outcomes, health systems seeking to provide robust services to historically disenfranchised communities should consider integration of relationship-based strategies, including midwifery care.

Effects of a Midwife-Coordinated Maternity Care Intervention (ChroPreg) vs. Standard Care in Pregnant Women with Chronic Medical Conditions: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

The proportion of childbearing women with pre-existing chronic medical conditions (CMC) is rising. In a randomized controlled trial, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a midwife-coordinated maternity care intervention (ChroPreg) in pregnant women with CMC. The intervention consisted of three main components: (1) Midwife-coordinated and individualized care, (2) Additional ante-and postpartum consultations, and (3) Specialized known midwives. The primary outcome was the total length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were patient-reported outcomes measuring psychological well-being and satisfaction with maternity care, health utilization, and maternal and infant outcomes. A total of 362 women were randomized to the ChroPreg intervention (n = 131) or Standard Care (n = 131). No differences in LOS were found between groups (median 3.0 days, ChroPreg group 0.1% lower LOS, 95% CI −7.8 to 7%, p = 0.97). Women in the ChroPreg group reported being more satisfied with maternity care measured by the Pregnancy and Childbirth Questionnaire (PCQ) compared with the Standard Care group (mean PCQ 104.5 vs. 98.2, mean difference 6.3, 95% CI 3.0–10.0, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the ChroPreg intervention did not reduce LOS. However, women in the ChroPreg group were more satisfied with maternity care.

Women's experience and satisfaction with midwife-led maternity care: a cross-sectional survey in China

BACKGROUND

Low risk pregnancy ending in a vaginal birth is best served and guided by a midwife. Utilizing a midwife in such cases offers many emotional and economic advantages and does not increase the risks for mother or neonate. However, women's experience and satisfaction of midwife-led maternity care is rarely reported in China. The primary objective of this study is to describe the experience of Chinese women receiving midwife-led maternity care, and to report their satisfaction level of the experience.

METHODS

The study is a cross-sectional survey of 4192 women who had natural birth from March-June 2019 in a maternity care center, Shanghai, China. We used a self-administered questionnaire addressing items related to women's experience during childbirth, as well as their satisfaction with midwife-led maternity care. We also included demographic and perinatal characteristics of each participant. Descriptive statistics and correlations analysis between groups of different experience and satisfaction were used.

RESULTS

In this sample, 87.7% of women had a Doula and a family member present during childbirth. Epidural anesthesia was used in 75.6% and episiotomy was needed in 23.2%. Free positioning during the first stage of labor and free positioning during the second stage of labor and delivery were adopted in 84.3 and 67.9% of the cases, respectively. Moderate to severe perineal pain and moderate to severe perineal edema were reported in 43.1 and 12.2% of the participants, respectively. High satisfaction level was found when there was midwife-led prenatal counseling and presence of Doula and family member, Lamaze breathing techniques, warm perineal compresses, epidural anesthesia, free positioning during the first stage of labor, and midwifes' postpartum guidance. Negative satisfaction was seen with perineal pain and edema.

CONCLUSION

Women in this survey generally had high satisfaction with midwife-led maternity care. This satisfaction is probably felt because of the prenatal counseling by the midwife and allowing a Doula and a family member in the room during childbirth. Other intangible factors to improve the satisfaction level were Lamaze breathing techniques, warm perineal compresses, epidural anesthesia, free positioning during first stage of labor, and early skin to skin contact.

Midwife-led care and obstetrician-led care for low-risk pregnancies: A cost comparison

OBJECTIVE

Low-risk pregnant women cared for by midwives have similar birth outcomes to women cared for by physicians, although experiencing fewer medical procedures. However, limited research has assessed cost implications in the United States. Using national data, we assessed costs and resource use of midwife-led care vs obstetrician-led care for low-risk pregnancies using a decision-analytic approach.

METHODS

We developed a decision-analytic model of costs (health plan payments to clinicians) and use of medical procedures during childbirth (epidural analgesia, labor induction, cesarean birth, episiotomy) and outcomes of care (birth at preterm gestation) that may differ with midwife-led vs obstetrician-led care. Model parameters for obstetric procedures were generated using Listening to Mothers III data, a national survey of women who gave birth in US hospitals in 2011-2012 and other published estimates. Cost estimates came from published or publicly available information on health insurance claims payments.

RESULTS

The costs of childbirth for low-risk women with midwife-led care were, on average, $2262 less than births to low-risk women cared for by obstetricians. These cost differences derive from lower rates of preterm birth and episiotomy among women with midwife-led care, compared with obstetrician-led care. Across the population of US women with low-risk births each year (approximately 2.6 million), the model predicted substantially fewer preterm births (167 259 vs 219 427 for midwife-led vs obstetrician-led care) and fewer episiotomies (170 504 vs 415 686, for midwife-led vs obstetrician-led care).

CONCLUSIONS

A shift from obstetrician-led care to midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancies could be cost saving.

Outcomes of trial of labor after cesarean birth by provider type in low-risk women

BACKGROUND

One approach to decreasing the cesarean birth rate in the United States is to increase the availability of birth attendants, including certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), who offer trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). We examined associations between provider type and mode of birth for women attempting vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study at a United States academic medical center using prospectively-collected data (2005-2012). We included healthy women with term singleton vertex pregnancies after one or two prior cesareans who were managed by obstetricians or CNMs. We assessed unplanned cesarean birth by provider type using univariate and logistic regression and examined labor interventions and predicted VBAC success.

RESULTS

Overall VBAC success was 88% for 502 included patients. Unplanned cesarean rates were similar by provider type. Black race, no prior VBAC, recurring clinical indication for cesarean, labor augmentation/induction, and any Pitocin use were associated with increased unplanned cesarean. Higher parity and early-term gestational age at delivery were associated with decreased unplanned cesarean. Postpartum hemorrhage and composite maternal morbidity were increased with unplanned cesarean, but there was no difference in neonatal outcome by mode of delivery or provider type. Obstetricians had slightly higher composite adverse maternal outcomes. Nomogram-predicted VBAC success but not provider type was associated with unplanned cesarean.

CONCLUSIONS

Unplanned cesarean was similar for patients attempting labor after cesarean managed by midwives or obstetricians. Increasing the number of CNMs who manage TOLAC may help decrease the high rate of cesareans.

Improving the Experience of Care: Results of the American Association of Birth Centers Strong Start Client Experience of Care Registry Pilot Program, 2015-2016

In 2018, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in the United States (US) released report demonstrating birth centers as the appropriate level of care for most Medicaid beneficiaries. A pilot project conducted at 34 American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Strong Start sites included 553 beneficiaries between 2015 and 2016 to explore client perceptions of high impact components of care. Participants used the AABC client experience of care registry to report knowledge, values, and experiences of care. Data were linked to more than 300 process and outcome measures within the AABC Perinatal Data Registry™. Descriptive statistics, t tests, χ analysis, and analysis of variance were conducted. Participants demonstrated high engagement with care and trust in pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Beneficiaries achieved their preference for vaginal birth (89.9%) and breastfeeding at discharge through 6 weeks postpartum (91.7% and 87.6%). Beneficiaries reported having time for questions, felt listened to, spoken to in a way they understood, being involved in decision making, and treated with respect. There were no variations in experience of care, cesarean birth, or breastfeeding by race. Medicaid beneficiaries receiving prenatal care at AABC Strong Start sites demonstrated high levels of desired engagement and reported receiving respectful, accessible care and high-quality outcomes. More investment and research using client-reported data registries are warranted as the US works to improve the experience of perinatal care nationwide.

A Literature Review of Midwifery-Led Care in Reducing Labor and Birth Interventions

Certified nurse-midwives are usually recognized as independently practicing advanced practice registered nurses because they provide maternity care to pregnant women in various states. In the United States, certified nurse-midwives are historically underused. Culture favors physician-led care, with 90% of all births attended by physicians. Midwifery-led care is considered high-touch/low-intervention and is guided by a philosophy of care that regards pregnancy and childbirth as normal life events for most women. Evidence from the literature supports midwifery-led care as being safe, effective, and associated with fewer interventions.

Association between provider type and cesarean birth in healthy nulliparous laboring women: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Term nulliparous women have the greatest variation across hospitals and providers in cesarean rates and therefore present an opportunity to improve quality through optimal care. We evaluated associations between provider type and mode of birth, including examination of intrapartum management in healthy, laboring nulliparous women.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study using prospectively collected perinatal data from a United States academic medical center (2005-2012). The sample included healthy nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset and term, singleton, vertex fetus managed by either obstetricians or certified nurse-midwives. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to compare labor interventions and mode of birth by provider type.

RESULTS

A total of 1339 women received care by an obstetrician (n = 749) or nurse-midwife (n = 590). The cesarean rate was 13.4% (179/1339). Adjusting for maternal and pregnancy characteristics, care by obstetricians was associated with an increased risk of unplanned cesarean birth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.48 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.04-2.12]) compared with care by midwives. Obstetricians more frequently used oxytocin augmentation (aOR 1.41 [95% CI 1.10-1.80]), neuraxial anesthesia (aOR 1.69 [95% CI 1.29-2.23]), and operative vaginal delivery with forceps or vacuum (aOR 2.79 [95% CI 1.75-4.44]). Adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes were not different by provider type across all modes of birth, but were more frequent in women with cesarean than vaginal births.

DISCUSSION

In low-risk nulliparous laboring women, care by obstetricians compared with nurse-midwives was associated with increased risk of labor interventions and operative birth. Changes in labor management or increased use of nurse-midwives could decrease the rate of a first cesarean in low-risk laboring women.

The Reliability of Electronic Health Record Data Used for Obstetrical Research

BACKGROUND

Hospital electronic health record (EHR) data are increasingly being called upon for research purposes, yet only recently has it been tested to examine its reliability. Studies that have examined reliability of EHR data for research purposes have varied widely in methods used and field of inquiry, with little reporting of the reliability of perinatal and obstetric variables in the current literature.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the reliability of data extracted from a commercially available inpatient EHR as compared with manually abstracted data for common attributes used in obstetrical research.

METHODS

Data extracted through automated EHR reports for 3,250 women who delivered a live infant at a large hospital in the Pacific Northwest were compared with manual chart abstraction for the following perinatal measures: delivery method, labor induction, labor augmentation, cervical ripening, vertex presentation, and postpartum hemorrhage.

RESULTS

Almost perfect agreement was observed for all four modes of delivery (vacuum assisted: kappa = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.88-0.95, forceps assisted: kappa = 0.90; 95%CI = 0.76-1.00, cesarean delivery: kappa = 0.91; 95%CI = 0.90-0.93, and spontaneous vaginal delivery: kappa = 0.91; 95%CI = 0.90-0.93). Cervical ripening demonstrated substantial agreement (kappa = 0.77; 95%CI = 0.73-0.80); labor induction (kappa = 0.65; 95%CI = 0.62-0.68) and augmentation (kappa = 0.54; 95%CI = 0.49-0.58) demonstrated moderate agreement between the two data sources. Vertex presentation (kappa = 0.35; 95%CI = 0.31-0.40) and post-partum hemorrhage (kappa = 0.21; 95%CI = 0.13-0.28) demonstrated fair agreement.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates variability in the reliability of obstetrical data collected and reported through the EHR. While delivery method was satisfactorily reliable in our sample, other examined perinatal measures were less so when compared with manual chart abstraction. The use of multiple modalities for assessing reliability presents a more consistent and rigorous approach for assessing reliability of data from EHR systems and underscores the importance of requiring validation of automated EHR data for research purposes.