Saint Peter’s University Hospital launches birthing experience focused on communication
Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, celebrated on Tuesday the launch of TeamBirth, a national model aimed at enhancing the labor and delivery experience.
Described as an evidence-based model for better provider and patient communication during the birthing experience, TeamBirth empowers all members of the care team, including the patient, to play an active role in shared decision-making. It has been shown to significantly improve safety, quality of care and overall birthing outcomes, according to the hospital.
"Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been a leader in maternal health and we’re proud to be an active participant in TeamBirth, an initiative that will ensure better outcomes for expectant mothers and their newborns," said Linda Carroll, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. "Our physicians, nurses and maternal care team members have enthusiastically supported TeamBirth and its practices which will transform the communication process between mothers and the healthcare providers that support them during one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life."
The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, in partnership with Ariadne Labs, is leading the initiative in the state. The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s mission is to improve the safety, quality and affordability of health care for everyone. The program was developed by Ariadne Labs, which is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
The New Jersey Department of Health is a TeamBirth NJ partner and is providing funding, ensuring that lessons learned will be shared statewide.
Improving maternal health outcomes is currently a statewide priority in the Garden State. New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy previously launched NurtureNJ, a program aimed to reduce the state’s maternal mortality by 50 percent over the next five years, while eliminating racial disparities in birth outcomes.
New Jersey Department of Health data shows that pregnancy-related deaths in the state, measured per 100,000 live births, have been increasing from 12.8 (2011-2013) to 15.0 (2014-2016). In addition, figures show that Black and Hispanic women in the state are seven times more likely to die in childbirth, according to data from 2014-2016 (46.9 per 100,000 live births) than White, Non-Hispanic women (6.5 per 100,000 live births). The First Lady’s initiative aims to turn these numbers around.
More: How Saint Peter's Hospital's new Birth Center will provide expecting moms higher quality care
According to Pamela Harmon, director of the Women and Children’s Division at Saint Peter’s University Hospital and administrative director of the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, the implementation of TeamBirth has already resulted in positive feedback from patients and Saint Peter's team members.
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"At the core of the program are team huddles comprised of expectant mothers, nurses, and other active members of the clinical care team including certified nurse-midwives," Harmon said. "Using a whiteboard that is present in labor and delivery rooms, the patient’s care plan is updated ongoing as the labor process progresses. This simple visual ensures that there is clear communication and shared decision-making across all participants during every phase of the birthing process. The board serves as a shared reference for all."
Items documented on the whiteboard include:
Promoting the roles of the laboring patient, nurse and delivering provider as members of the care team with equally valuable input for decision-making;
Eliciting the patient’s preferences, symptoms and subjective experiences and integrate with clinical data to inform patient care plans;
Distinguishing maternal, fetal and labor progress statuses and care plans;
Setting shared expectations for next the planned evaluation.
The TeamBirth model was developed and rigorously tested by Ariadne Labs as part of its Delivery Decisions Initiative, a research and social impact program focused on transforming childbirth care around the world. The program was designed to operationalize best practices in communication, teamwork and clinical care in collaboration with experts from major professional organizations in obstetrics in the U.S., including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American College of Nurse-Midwives, and Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
TeamBirth has now been implemented in more than 60 hospitals around the country, collectively involving more than 1,500 clinicians and more than 67,000 mothers and babies. Many other practices and procedures implemented at Saint Peter’s have become standard protocol in women’s maternal health and neonatal care statewide.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick launches TeamBirth
