Year(s) Funded: 2015-2016
Topic(s): Hospitals and Clinics, Quality, Health Services, Maternal Health, Workforce
Project Lead: Katy Kozhimannil
Approximately half a million women give birth in rural hospitals each year in the U.S. Workforce issues are an important constraint on obstetric care in rural hospitals, especially for small-volume obstetric units. However, limited research explores the relationship between obstetric care workforce and the procedure intensity and quality of childbirth care provided in rural hospitals in the U.S. This project will examine the relationships between key aspects of the obstetric workforce in rural hospitals and procedure intensity and quality of maternity care in those hospitals.