Hein HA. Evaluation of a rural perinatal care system. J Pediatr. 1980;66(4):540-546.
Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): HOSPITAL, Development/Improvement of Services, Continuing Education of Hospital Providers, Needs Assessment, POPULATION-BASED SYSTEMS, INTER-HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, Maternal/In-Utero Transport Systems, Agreement for Level III Hospital to Accept All Patients, Perinatal Committees/Councils, STATE
Intervention Description: A voluntary system of regionalized perinatal health care was developed in Iowa to provide accessible services for a rural population.
Intervention Results: The intervention in Iowa focused on increasing both level III and level II VLBW births due to population density concerns in Iowa. Among all VLBW infants, there were changes in the birth location distribution. Of these infants, there was a statistically significant increase in percentage born in level III hospitals from 6.7% to 22.6% (p<0.05)1 and an increase in births in level II hospitals from 26.9% to 35.6%. The percentage born in level I centers decreased from 68.2% to 41.8%.
Conclusion: The concept of a mortality risk ratio (neonatal deaths/<1,500 gm live births) is suggested as a method of reviewing mortality data from the perspective of risks inherent in the population served.
Study Design: QE: pretest-posttest
Setting: All Iowa hospitals Pretest: 130 level I, 10 level II, and one level III hospital Posttest: 122 level I, 10 level II, and one level III hospital
Population of Focus: All live births <1500 gm
Data Source: Data from Iowa State Health Department matched birth and infant death certificates.
Sample Size: Pretest (n= 440) Posttest (n= 402)
Age Range: Not specified
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