JAMA Clinical Reviews
Loss of Obstetric Care in Rural and Urban Hospitals in the US
Dec 4, 2024
Katy Kozhimannil, a researcher specializing in rural maternity care, joins Linda Brubaker to discuss the troubling decline of obstetric services in U.S. hospitals. They reveal alarming statistics on the drop in maternity care between 2010-2022, particularly in rural areas, leading to increased maternal mortality. The conversation highlights the lack of transparency in service availability and the urgent need for policy reforms to improve access. Kozhimannil sheds light on how hospital mergers complicate data tracking, exacerbating these challenges for patients.
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Quick takeaways
- The decline in obstetric services at hospitals, particularly in rural areas, significantly impacts maternal health access and outcomes.
- Grassroots awareness of dwindling maternal care in communities spurred a broader investigation into national trends in obstetric service availability.
Deep dives
Obstetric Care Accessibility Trends
A significant portion of hospitals in the United States lack obstetric services, with 52.4% of rural hospitals and 35.7% of urban hospitals not offering such care in 2022. This statistic highlights a concerning trend in maternal health access, particularly in rural areas where closures of obstetric units have been more pronounced. Patients and clinicians alike may be shocked by these figures, as it underscores the fact that many hospitals are not prepared to support labor and delivery, which is often unexpected. This discrepancy plays a crucial role in the ongoing maternal health crisis and raises alarms regarding the implications for communities that are already underserved.
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