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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Items in this list may be obtained from the sources cited. Contact information reflects the most current data about the source that has been provided to the MCH Digital Library.


Displaying records 21 through 40 (564 total).

Allen C; Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health. 2024. Looking back, looking forward: The history and vision of AIM. Washington, DC: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health , (AIM for Safer Birth Podcast Series)

Annotation: In this podcast episode, host Christie Allen talks with renowned maternal health expert Dr. Elliott Main. A pioneering figure in maternal mortality review and quality care initiatives, Dr. Main discusses the history and evolution of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). Together, they explore the challenges and triumphs of addressing severe maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S., the early groundwork that led to AIM, and the collaborative efforts that turned ideas into actionable tools. Dr. Main also shares his thoughts on the future of maternal health and the "one thing" he believes is critical to driving change moving forward. This episode is part of the AIM for Safer Birth series of podcasts that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

Keywords: Collaboration, History, Initiatives, Maternal health, Maternal morbidity, Maternal mortality, Models, Resources for professionals

Allen C; Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health. 2024. Keeping the ground we gain: Sustainability . Washington, DC: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health , (AIM for Safer Birth Podcast Series)

Annotation: in this podcast episode, host Christie Allen talks with Audra Summers and Ashley Rainey about Indiana's innovative use of the AIM Patient Safety Bundles to drive sustainable change in maternal care. Audra and Ashley share their experiences implementing and maintaining quality improvements across Indiana's 75 delivery facilities. They discuss the importance of collaboration, the integration of safety measures into daily practices, and how sustainability is achieved through data-driven methods and cultural shifts. The episode is part of the AIM for Safer Birth series of podcasts that dive deeper into the rising severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality rates in the United States through a data-driven, quality improvement lens.

Keywords: Indiana, Maternal health, Perinatal care, Resources for professionals, Safety, State initiatives

Supported by the Community Health Acceleration Partnership, Merck for Mothers, and Pritzker Children's Initiative. . 2024. Postpartum Medicaid implementation issue brief (Version 1.5). Afton Bloom, 20 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief discusses the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months following birth, which states have been able to implement since April 2022. It examines how this extension supports improved access to perinatal and postpartum care but requires complementary state actions to be fully effective. The brief highlights key challenges in postpartum care, including care fragmentation, workforce shortages, and barriers to implementation at system, community, and individual levels. It outlines four solution areas: developing comprehensive standards of care, expanding dyadic care models, increasing workforce support, and providing education and technical assistance. The document concludes with specific recommendations for funders to support implementation efforts at local, state, and national levels to improve maternal health outcomes and advance health equity.

Keywords: Barriers, Financing, Health care reform, Initiatives, Maternal health, Medicaid, Model programs, Perinatal care, Postpartum care, Resources for professionals, patient education materials

Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative. 2024. OB emergency triage and care resource workbook. Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative, 20 pp.

Annotation: This workbook addresses obstetric emergency triage and care for health care providers, particularly those in nonobstetric settings and maternity care deserts. The workbook presents evidence on the critical access challenges facing pregnant and postpartum patients, noting that one in 12 women live in areas with low or no access to maternal health care and that 41.7% of Missouri counties are defined as maternity care deserts compared to 32.6% nationally. It outlines comprehensive strategies for hospitals without obstetric services, including implementation of education and simulation drills for emergency deliveries and maternal emergencies such as hypertension, sepsis, and hemorrhage, creation of emergency medication kits, use of algorithms and early warning systems, and establishment of partnerships with tertiary medical centers for consultation and transfer agreements. The workbook details the complete Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Emergency Triage and Care Patient Safety Bundle components, covering readiness requirements such as rapid response team identification, recognition and prevention measures including pregnancy screening protocols, response protocols for routine births in nonobstetric settings and obstetric emergencies, and reporting and systems learning processes including huddles and debriefs. It emphasizes trauma-informed care principles and respectful, equitable care for all patients, and includes extensive resources for obstetric triage tools, emergency protocols, simulation training materials, transport guidelines, telehealth consultation resources, and patient education materials. The workbook specifically addresses Missouri's challenges with rural hospital closures and provides evidence-based practices to ensure continual readiness for obstetric patients in all hospital settings.

Keywords: Access to care, Emergency health services, Missouri, Obstetrical care, Resources for professionals, Rural health, State initiatives, Triage

Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative. 2024. Maternal sepsis resource workbook. Jefferson, MO: Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative, 16 pp.

Annotation: This workbook serves as a resource for health care providers addressing maternal sepsis recognition and treatment in pregnant and postpartum patients. The workbook presents evidence on maternal sepsis as the body's life-threatening response to infection, noting that between 2017 and 2019, infection was the fourth leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States, with Black women having more than twice the risk of maternal sepsis compared to white women. Included are key challenges in maternal sepsis recognition and recommended procedural approaches. The workbook details the complete Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Sepsis in Obstetric Care Patient Safety Bundle components, covering readiness requirements including multidisciplinary team protocols and rapid response procedures, recognition and prevention measures such as evidence-based sepsis screening tools and infection prevention protocols, response protocols emphasizing early antibiotic administration within one hour and source control measures, and reporting and systems learning processes including multidisciplinary case reviews and bias consideration. The workbook addresses Missouri-specific data showing infections as the fifth leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths from 2018-2020, with sepsis as the fourth leading indicator for severe maternal morbidity and significant racial disparities noted, and includes extensive resources for sepsis evaluation flow charts, screening tools, simulation training scenarios, order sets, and patient education materials.

Keywords: Emergency health services, Guidelines, Infectious complications complications, Missouri, Protocols, Resources for professionals, Sepsis, State initiatives

Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative. 2024. Severe hypertension in pregnancy resource workbook . Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative, 16 pp.

Annotation: This workbook provides guidance for implementing the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) patient safety bundle on severe hypertension in pregnancy. It summarizes the evidence on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including classifications, diagnostic criteria, and treatment recommendations from ACOG, with a focus on timely treatment of severe hypertension (≥160/110 mm Hg) with first-line antihypertensive medications within 30-60 minutes to prevent maternal stroke. The workbook discusses considerations in diagnosing and managing preeclampsia, which can progress rapidly and become life-threatening without prompt intervention. It highlights data on hypertensive disorders from the Missouri Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review and provides action steps for implementation of the AIM bundle among Missouri maternal health stakeholders. Resources and references are included for further education and training.

Keywords: Guidelines, Hypertension, Maternal health, Missouri, Perinatal care, Pregnancy induced hypertension, Prenatal care, Resources for professionals, State initiatives

National Association of Community Health Centers. 2024. Improving quality in pregnancy and postpartum care: Implementation guide. Bethesda, MD: National Association of Community Health Centers,

Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Maternal, Child, and Family Health. 2023. School-based dental sealant program manual . [Columbus, OH]: Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Maternal, Child, and Family Health, 48 pp.

Annotation: This manual provides professional recommendations and states’ expectations for school-based dental sealant programs (SBSPs) under the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Contents include local program operations, regulatory compliance, compliance with ODH policies, SBSP eligibility, sample program forms, site assessment, infection control, clinical materials and methods, quality assurance, performance benchmarks and standards, reporting, ODH program reviews, compliance with other ODH requirements, Medicaid billing and collection, reimbursement, and filing claims. The appendices contain sample forms, records, letters, and other practice-related materials.

Keywords: Children, Dental sealants, Forms, Guideline adherence, Manuals, Ohio, Oral health, Parents, Resources for professionals, School based clinics, State programs

Barzel R, Holt K, eds. 2023. Promoting oral health in schools: A resource guide (5th ed.). Washington, DC: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, 22 pp.

Annotation: This guide provides information about promoting oral health in schools. The guide features materials on data and surveillance; policy; professional education, tools, and training; program development; and public education. Selected materials include a toolkit to help advocates improve the quality of school meals, a roadmap for healthy schools, best practice reports about school-based dental sealant programs and about use of fluoride in schools, and an oral health curriculum for students in kindergarten through grades 10. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: , Disease prevention, Health promotion, Oral health, Resources for professionals, School age children, School health services, School linked programs, Young children

Brach C, ed. 2023. AHRQ health literacy universal precautions toolkit (3rd ed.). Rockville, MD: U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 202 pp.

Annotation: This toolkit offers evidence-based guidance to help health professionals make health information easier to understand and act on, make health care easier to navigate, and increase support for people of all health literacy levels. Contents include 23 tools addressing the following five domains: path to improvement, spoken communication, written communication, self-management and empowerment, and supportive systems. Additional contents include resources such as sample forms, PowerPoint presentations, and assessment tools.

Keywords: Communication, Empowerment, Forms, Health care systems, Health literacy, Patient care, Primary care, Resources for professionals, Self care, Social support

American Academy of Pediatrics, Bright Futures, National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health. 2023. Oral health risk assessment tool. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 3 pp.

Annotation: This tool is designed to help health professionals implement oral health risk assessment for infants and children from birth to age 6 during health supervision visits. The tool, which can be used to document dental caries risk, presents a checklist for evaluating the oral health status of a child that includes risk factors, protective factors, and clinical findings, as well as an assessment and plan. Guidance on the factors in the checklist and color photographs depicting clinical findings are included. The tool is available in English and in Spanish.

Keywords: Dental caries, High risk groups, Infants, Oral health, Protective factors, Resources for professionals, Risk assessment, Risk factors, Spanish language materials, Young children

U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. 2023. Physical activity guidelines for Americans (updated). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,

Annotation: This website provides science-based guidance to help Americans ages 6 and older improve their health through appropriate physical activity. Includes are tips on how to stay active, community resources, dietary guidelines, campaign materials, news updates. and guidelines on the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to children, adolescents, and adults.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Adults, Child health, Guidelines, Health promotion, National initiatives, Older adults, Physical activity, Resources for professionals

Insure Kids Now. 2023. Improving oral health. Baltimore, MD: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, multiple items.

Annotation: These resources are designed to help health professionals promote oral health coverage in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and educate pregnant women and parents and other caregivers about good oral health habits. Contents include links to Medicaid and CHIP benefits for children by state and a tool to help families find a dentist. Additional contents include a fact sheet, a flyer, a poster, tear pads, web banners and buttons, social media messages, images for Facebook and Twitter, and newsletter templates in English and Spanish.

Keywords: Children with special health care needs, Children's Health Insurance Program, Consumer education materials, Medicaid, Oral health, Pregnant women, Public awareness campaigns, Resources for professionals, Spanish language materials, Young children

Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM). 2023. Safe reduction of primary cesarean birth patient safety bundle. Washington, DC: Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) ,

Annotation: This patient safety bundle was revised in 2023 to incorporate respectful care concepts, revise existing elements, include new elements related to evidence-informed practices, and update data collection plans. The bundle provides actionable steps to support labor and care processes that can be adapted to a variety of facilities and resource levels to improve quality of care and safely reduce cesarean births. Implementation details and resources, a data collection plan, an evidence-informed "change package," and learning modules are included on the website. Some materials are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Keywords: Cesarean section, Childbirth, Data collection, Measures, Obstetrical care, Prevention, Protocols, Quality improvement, Resources for professionals, Safety, Vaginal birth

Hampl SE, Hassink SG, Skinner AC, Armstrong SC, Barlow SE, Bolling CF, Avila Edwards KC, Eneli I, Hamre R, Joseph MM, Lunsford D, Mendonca E, Michalsky MP, Mirza N, Ochoa ER, Jr, Sharifi M, Staiano AE, Weedn AE, Flinn SK, Lindros J, Okechukwu K. 2023. Clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 100 pp.; 9 pp.(exec summary)

Skinner AC, Staiano, AE, Armstrong SC, Barkin SL, Hassink SG, Moore JE, Savage JS, Vilme H, Weedn AE, Liebhart J, Lindros J, Reilly EM. 2023. Appraisal of Clinical Care Practices for Child Obesity Treatment. Part I: Interventions. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 80 pp.

Annotation: This is part I of a technical report that contains evidence-informed, actionable information that clinicians can use to make assessment and treatment decisions for children and adolescents with obesity. The report identifies relevant studies that address two overarching questions: 1) “What are clinically based, effective treatments for obesity?” and 2) What is the risk of comorbidities among children with obesity?” This part focuses on effective interventions for children and adolescents with obesity.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Child health, Intervention, Obesity, Overweight, Research, Resources for professionals

Skinner AC, Staiano, AE, Armstrong SC, Barkin SL, Hassink SG, Moore JE, Savage JS, Vilme H, Weedn AE, Liebhart J, Lindros J, Reilly EM. 2023. Appraisal of Clinical Care Practices for Child Obesity Treatment. Part II: Comorbidities. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 55 pp.

Annotation: This is part II of a technical report that contains evidence-informed, actionable information that clinicians can use to make assessment and treatment decisions for children and adolescents with obesity. The report identifies relevant studies that address two overarching questions: 1) “What are clinically based, effective treatments for obesity?” and 2) What is the risk of co-morbidities among children with obesity?” The second part contains research evidence to help clinicians screen for co-morbidities such as diabetes and dyslipidemia in children with obesity.

Keywords: Adolescent health, Child health, Comorbidity, Obesity, Overweight, Research, Resources for professionals, Screening

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2023. Reminder Systems and Strategies for Increasing Childhood Vaccination Rates. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ,

AWHONN. 2023. Postpartum hemorrhage risk assessment table. , 3 pp.

Annotation: The Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH) Risk Assessment Table is designed to guide clinicians in assessing a patient's risk for postpartum hemorrhage at three critical time points: admission, pre-birth (approximately 30-60 minutes prior to giving birth), and upon admission to postpartum. Risk factors are categorized as low, medium, or high at each stage, with specific criteria listed for each category. The document provides guidance on adjusting a patient's risk level if they develop additional risk factors and outlines anticipatory interventions and blood bank orders appropriate for each risk category at the different assessment times. The table is intended to guide clinical decision-making in conjunction with clinical judgment and hospital policy.

Keywords: Hemorrhage, Postpartum care, Resources for professionals, Risk assessment

Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. 2023. Universal screening for maternal mental health disorders. Los Angeles, CA: Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, 17 pp.

Annotation: This issue brief provides an overview of universal screening for maternal mental health disorders, which are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth. The brief outlines the importance of screening in identifying at-risk mothers and enabling early treatment. It discusses commonly recommended screening tools for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and psychosis, as well as considerations for screening in racially and ethnically diverse populations. The document reviews recommendations from professional organizations on when and how often screening should occur, highlighting the role of obstetricians as primary screeners. Barriers to screening and follow-up care are addressed, including mental health provider shortages, reimbursement challenges, and the bifurcated mental health system. The brief also covers recent developments such as the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage and the creation of a HEDIS quality measure to track screening rates.

Keywords: Maternal health, Measures, Mental disorders, Mental health, Resources for professionals, Screening

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The MCH Library is one of six special collections at Georgetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. The library is supported through foundation, private, university, state, and federal funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by Georgetown University or the U.S. Government. Note: web pages whose development was supported by federal government grants are being reviewed to comply with applicable Executive Orders.