Obstetric Volume and Severe Maternal Morbidity Among Low-Risk and Higher-Risk Patients Giving Birth at Rural and Urban US Hospitals.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Identifying hospital factors associated with severe maternal morbidity (SMM) is essential to clinical and policy efforts.

Objective

To assess associations between obstetric volume and SMM in rural and urban hospitals and examine whether these associations differ for low-risk and higher-risk patients.

Design, setting, and participants

This retrospective cross-sectional study of linked vital statistics and patient discharge data was conducted from 2022 to 2023. Live births and stillbirths (≥20 weeks' gestation) at hospitals in California (2004-2018), Michigan (2004-2020), Pennsylvania (2004-2014), and South Carolina (2004-2020) were included. Data were analyzed from December 2022 to May 2023.

Exposures

Annual birth volume categories (low, medium, mediu

SUBMITTER: Kozhimannil KB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10290751 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature