An Evaluation of Group Prenatal Care for High-Risk Obstetric Patients: A Matched Cohort Comparison

Date

2020-06-29

Authors

Baker, Joshua

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Worldwide access

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Abstract

This study analyzes group prenatal care, branded as CenteringPregnancy specifically, as an effective model of treatment capable of 1) improving health outcomes, and 2) decreasing expenditures. Previous studies largely have indicated that CenteringPregnancy achieves both of the aforementioned objectives for low-risk obstetric patients. This study seeks to add to the literature by investigating the effect of the treatment on low and high-risk patients alike. This study identifies no significant difference in infant health outcomes among low-risk patients as a result of the intervention. For high-risk patients, propensity score matching does indicate a positive, significant correlation between the treatment and the probability of a very low birth weight infant outcome; although it should be noted that there were no very low birth weight infants included in the control sample. Further studies with larger sample sizes and representation of very low birth weight infants in the control sample are necessary to identify if this adverse, causal relationship exists between high-risk patients and the implementation of CenteringPregnancy.

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