TeamBirth seeks to improve outcomes by facilitating more collaboration between patients and their providers
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AKRON, Ohio: Cleveland Clinic Akron General recently instituted a new model of care designed to improve outcomes for pregnant patients by focusing on communication and teamwork to enhance safety and quality of care.
A major part of the new model, called TeamBirth, involves all members of the care team having “huddles” with patients at regular intervals so that everyone understands their current condition and birth preferences.
Akron General is one of only four hospitals in the United States to pilot TeamBirth as part of the first wave of the March of Dimes and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal HealthCARE initiative. This initiative works to improve maternal health outcomes and advance equity in labor and delivery.
“Pregnant people in the U.S. are experiencing severe complications and dying at higher rates than any other industrialized country and if you are a pregnant Black person, your rates are even higher. The goal of TeamBirth is to address those unacceptable outcomes, to put the patient and their preferences at the center of their birthing experience and to root out the implicit and explicit biases that create inequity in maternal healthcare,” said Jennifer Savitski, M.D., chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Akron General.
To improve communication, TeamBirth uses planning boards in all labor and delivery rooms that list all caregivers who are on the patient’s team. The planning boards highlight the patient’s birth preferences, and outline care plans and progress for the patient and the baby. The care team, including the person giving birth and their support person, meet frequently to make sure everyone is aware of the patient’s preferences and condition, and to set clear expectations.
Akron General spent about six months preparing to adopt this new model, and has been utilizing it since October. Data are being collected to determine how the program impacts birth outcomes and patient and caregiver experience. While it is too soon to draw conclusions on outcomes, anecdotal patient feedback indicates patients appreciate the intentionality of highlighting their preferences and having a structured process to ensure shared decision-making, Dr. Savitski said.
TeamBirth was developed by Ariadne Labs as an evidence-based approach to labor and delivery. Hospitals participating in the Maternal HealthCARE initiative implement improvement measures focused on best practices for patient-centered, respectful and anti-racist care for all, stratifying data by race and ethnicity to create data transparency. Participating hospitals address racial inequities and the disparity gap in outcomes for pregnant Black patients through implementation of expert-recommended key activities, including maternity specific implicit bias training, stratification and analysis of outcomes by race and ethnicity, formation of an anti-racism work group and adoption of the TeamBirth model of care.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is a nonprofit healthcare organization that has been improving the health and lives of the people and communities it serves since 1914. Akron General is the hub for Cleveland Clinic’s Southern Region and includes a 532-registered-bed teaching and research medical center in downtown Akron; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group; three Health & Wellness Centers; Lodi Hospital; and Akron General Foundation. For more information, visit akrongeneral.org.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 77,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,658 salaried physicians and researchers, and 19,000 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,665-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 22 hospitals, more than 275 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2022, there were 12.8 million outpatient encounters, 303,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 270,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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