The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Dear John,
A new study in the October issue examines insights from fourteen US Maternal Mortality Review Committees.
Insights From Maternal Mortality Review Committees
State and local Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) identify and review deaths occurring during pregnancy or within one year from the end
of pregnancy.
These committees determine the pregnancy-relatedness and preventability of a death, identify the medical and nonmedical contributors, and make recommendations intended to eliminate preventable deaths.
Susanna Trost and coauthors analyzed MMRC determinations in fourteen states from
2008 to 2017. They found that mental health conditions are the underlying cause of nearly one in nine pregnancy-related deaths, and that MMRCs deemed 100 percent of these deaths preventable.
For further discussion of MMRCs, revisit this Health Affairs Blog post from April. In it Jane Ellis and coauthors describe the importance of including diverse voices in MMRCs, as they not only examine the factors contributing to maternal deaths, but also work with stakeholders to move their recommendations into action.
Today on Health Affairs Blog, Martha Dawson and Robert Blancato argue that to improve health care practices and outcomes for older adults, CMS should adopt ahospital malnutrition quality measure.
Pam Schwartz discusses how simple interventions such as text-based outreach can give
health systems a means to help close the gap between food assistance eligibility and enrollment.
Elevating Voices: Hispanic Heritage Month: In July, Health Affairs’ Narrative Matters podcast featured Alfonso Mercado. Listen to his essay about how two families’ stories—a separation at the border and an assault in a migrant shelter—show the horrific dimensions of US migration policy.
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Mental health conditions are diagnosed in one of every five pregnant or postpartum people, yet perinatal mental health is poorly addressed by the US health care system. The October 2021 issue of Health Affairs is mostly devoted to perinatal mental health.
Please join us on Friday, October 8, 2021, for a virtual forum featuring remarks by and a discussion with US Representative Lauren Underwood (IL), the cofounder and cochair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and a lead sponsor of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021.
In addition, a select group of authors from the issue will
present their work and take questions from the online audience.
Details are as follows:
Date: Friday, October 8, 2021 Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Eastern/10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Pacific Place: Virtual Event. Sign-in details to be shared upon registration.
Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewedjournalat the intersection of
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Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has published Health Affairs since 1981.
