By David Wise
A research team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been approved for a five-year, $15 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the best mechanisms for postpartum follow up with new mothers to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity.
Maternal mortality rates in the United States are steadily rising. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States in 2021, compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019. The United States has a higher maternal mortality ratio than most other high-income nations, with more than half of maternal deaths occurring postpartum after hospital discharge.
The UAMS study will address critical gaps in knowledge about how best to deliver comprehensive postpartum care that ensures timely identification and treatment of complications and meets the needs and preferences of diverse patients including disproportionately impacted racial groups and rural residents.
