Improving Communication Between Doulas and Hospital Care Team: A Quality Improvement Project
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Black maternal health is in a health crisis state. Maternal mortality rates progressed from 55.3 to 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 versus 2021, respectively. There is strong data showing that doula services improve maternal health outcomes and result in a more positive birth experience. However, doulas are integrated into the healthcare team in diverse ways, making interprofessional communication a challenge. First, a brief discussion is provided regarding the history of medical injustice among Black individuals as a reference of the mistrust that needs to be acknowledged to better understand and meet individual health care needs. Next, opportunities and barriers are discussed regarding community-based solutions for the maternal health crisis among Black birthing persons. The purpose of this DNP scholarly project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a toolkit to improve communication between community-based doulas, hospital-based doulas, and hospital care providers. The literature demonstrates that doulas have a positive impact on patients' emotional and physical well-being. To determine the communication toolkit’s effectiveness, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and post-survey data was utilized.
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Keywords
doulas, communication, maternal mortality, mortality rate, Black or African American