Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Hospital-to-skilled nursing facility (SNF) transitions have been characterised as fragmented and having poor quality. The drivers, or the factors and actions, that directly lead to these poor experiences are not well described. It is essential to understand the drivers of these experiences so that specific improvement targets can be identified. This study aimed to generate a theory of contributing factors that determine patient and caregiver experiences during the transition from the hospital to SNF. METHODS:We conducted a grounded theory study on the Medicine Service at an academic medical centre (AMC) and a short-term rehabilitation SNF. We conducted individual in-depth interviews with patients, caregivers and clinicians, as well as ethnographic observations of hospital and SNF care activities. We analysed data using dimensional analysis to create an explanatory matrix that identified prominent dimensions and considered the context, conditions and processes that result in patient and caregiver consequences and experiences. RESULTS:We completed 41 interviews (15 patients, 5 caregivers and 15 AMC and 6 SNF clinicians) and 40 h of ethnographic observations. 'They were talking to each other, but not to me' was the dimension with the greatest explanatory power regarding patient and caregiver experience. Patients and caregivers consistently felt disconnected from their care teams and lacked sufficient information leading to uncertainty about their SNF admission and plans for recovery. Key conditions driving these outcomes were patient and care team processes, including interdisciplinary team-based care, clinical training and practice norms, pressure to maintain hospital throughput, patient behaviours, the availability and provision of information, and patient's physical and emotional vulnerability. The relationships between conditions and processes were complex, dynamic and, at times, interrelated. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:This study has conceptualised the root causes of poor-quality experiences within the hospital-to-SNF care transition. Our theory generation identifies targets for clinical practice improvement, tailored intervention development and medical education innovations. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION/UNASSIGNED:We partnered with the Hospital Medicine Reengineering Network (HOMERuN) Patient and Family Advisory Council during all stages of this study.

BACKGROUND:Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare medical condition presenting as idiopathic heart failure. The aim of this study was to (1) examine the contribution of neighborhood disinvestment to PPCM risk and to racial and ethnic disparities in PPCM; (2) examine the extent to which sociodemographic factors and chronic hypertension explain these outcomes; and (3) describe severe maternal morbidity cases and the timing of PPCM. METHODS:We conducted an observational cohort study using vital records longitudinally linked with hospital discharge records for mothers and infants up to 9 months postpartum for births in California from 1997 to 2019. Using the Neighborhood Deprivation Index as a proxy measure for neighborhood disinvestment, we sequentially adjusted multivariable logistic regression models to estimate the association of Neighborhood Deprivation Index and race and ethnicity with PPCM. RESULTS:Our study included 7 354 662 births and 918 (0.012%) PPCM cases. Those residing in neighborhoods with higher disinvestment had an increased odds of PPCM (OR [95% CI] Quartile 2: 1.2 [1.0-1.5]; Quartile 3: 1.7 [1.4-2.1]; Quartile 4: 1.5 [1.2-1.9]). When considering the contribution of Neighborhood Deprivation Index to racial and ethnic disparities in PPCM, the odds ratio slightly decreased for Non-Hispanic Black births from 3.8 (3.1-4.6) to 3.4 (2.8-4.1). For chronic hypertension in Non-Hispanic Black births there was a slight decrease in odds from 3.4 (2.8-4.1) to 3.1 (2.6-3.8). The severe maternal morbidity indicator with the highest frequency was pulmonary edema/acute heart failure. CONCLUSIONS:Our results show that neighborhood deprivation and pre-pregnancy hypertension partially explain PPCM risk but does not explain the racial or ethnic disparity. Future research should examine the impact of specific measures of neighborhood deprivation on the racial and ethnic disparity in outcomes such as PPCM.

BACKGROUND:Cesarean birth increases risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Examine the relationship between labor and delivery staffing and hospital cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates. METHODS:Survey of U.S. labor nurses in 2018 and 2019 on adherence to AWHONN nurse staffing standards with data linked to American Hospital Association Survey data, patient discharge data, and cesarean birth and VBAC rates. FINDINGS/RESULTS:In total, 2,786 nurses from 193 hospitals in 23 states were included. Mean cesarean rate was 27.3% (SD 5.9, range 11.7%-47.2%); median VBAC rate 11.1% (IQR 1.78%-20.2%; range 0%-40.1%). There was relatively high adherence to staffing standards (mean, 3.12 of possible 1-4 score). After adjusting for hospital characteristics, nurse staffing was an independent predictor of hospital-level cesarean and VBAC rates (IRR 0.89, 95% CI 0.84-0.95 and IRR 1.58, 95% CI 1.25-1.99, respectively). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:Better nurse staffing predicted lower cesarean birth rates and higher VBAC rates. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Hospitals should be accountable for providing adequate nurse staffing during childbirth.

BACKGROUND:Efforts to reduce cesarean birth overuse have had varied success. De-implementation strategies that incorporate change to organizational characteristics (i.e. culture) can improve adoption and sustainability. This study aimed to identify culture change strategies used by hospitals that achieved significant and sustained cesarean reduction and eliminated racial disparities in cesarean birth. METHODS:Hospitals in California and Florida that (1) engaged in quality initiatives to reduce cesarean births; (2) demonstrated at least a 5% cesarean birth reduction; and (3) sustained the reduction for 18 months after participation were invited to participate. Hospitals that reduced also cesarean racial disparity were prioritized for recruitment. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were performed with leaders, obstetricians, family physicians, midwives, and nurses providing intrapartum care. Reflexive thematic analysis and values coding were used. RESULTS:35 participants from 6 hospitals (3 in California, 3 in Florida) participated in interviews or focus groups. Nurse-focused strategies included: leadership demonstrating support for proactive labor support (e.g., Spinning Babies, comfort measures, nursing time at bedside); enhanced communication through inter-disciplinary team huddles; clear delineation of roles; and a chain of command that assured nurses could advocate for their patients freely and without retribution. Physician-focused strategies included regular and publicly visible feedback delivered by trusted messengers, drawing attention to successful vaginal births, and highlighting the contributions of labor support. A theme of hiring/retaining for "fit" was articulated at all hospitals, most notably, the hospital that eliminated their cesarean birth racial disparity, where "fit" was conceptualized as empathy, humanism, and a desire to meet community needs. CONCLUSIONS:This study identified specific de-implementation strategies for hospitals to change implementation context, namely culture, to achieve and sustain reduction of cesarean birth. Hospitals looking to sustain culture change should adapt strategies to align with existing clinician values, change attitudes through sharing successful vaginal births, and modify beliefs through education from trusted messengers. Strategies to reduce racial disparities should emphasize designing teams that are aware of and prioritize community needs, including hiring staff from the local community, and partnering with community-based organizations.

OBJECTIVE:To qualitatively describe breastfeeding experiences among mothers who used galactagogues to increase their milk supply. DESIGN:One-time, semistructured phone interviews. SETTING:US. PARTICIPANTS:Breastfeeding mothers (n = 19) who reported ever consuming foods, beverages, or herbal supplements to increase their milk supply in a cross-sectional online survey were purposefully sampled to participate in this qualitative study. Participants were diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, education, income, infant age (0-18 months), and prior breastfeeding experience (32% first-time breastfeeding). PHENOMENON OF INTEREST:Reasons for trying to increase milk supply, sources of information about increasing milk supply, and strategies tried to increase milk supply. ANALYSIS:Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS:Participants expressed determination and commitment to breastfeeding but unexpectedly struggled to breastfeed and increase their milk supply. They sought information from multiple sources and used individualized approaches to address milk supply concerns on the basis of recommendations from others, as well as the perceived convenience, cost, palatability, and safety of potential strategies. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:Results suggest a need to expand breastfeeding education and support so that lactating parents anticipate common breastfeeding challenges and are aware of evidence-based strategies for increasing their milk supply.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Food insecurity is a major public health concern in the United States, particularly for pregnant and postpartum individuals. In 2020, ∼13.8 million (10.5%) U.S. households experienced food insecurity. However, the association between food security and pregnancy outcomes in the United States is poorly understood. PURPOSE/UNASSIGNED:The purpose of this review was to critically appraise the state of the evidence related to food insecurity as a determinant of health within the context of pregnancy in the United States. We also explored the relationship between food insecurity and pregnancy outcomes. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Food and Nutrition Science databases were used. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies about food (in)security, position articles from professional organizations, and policy articles about pregnancy outcomes and breastfeeding practices. Studies conducted outside of the United States and those without an adequate definition of food (in)security were excluded. Neonatal health outcomes were also excluded. Included articles were critically appraised with the STROBE and Critical Appraisal Skills Program checklists. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Inconsistencies exist in defining and measuring household food (in)security. Pregnant and postpartum people experienced several adverse physiological and psychological outcomes that impact pregnancy compared with those who do not. Intersections between neighborhood conditions and other economic hardships were identified. Findings regarding the impact of food insecurity on breastfeeding behaviors were mixed, but generally food insecurity was not associated with poor breastfeeding outcomes in adjusted models. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Inconsistencies in definitions and measures of food security limit definitive conclusions. There is a need for standardizing definitions and measures of food insecurity, as well as a heightened awareness and policy change to alleviate experiences of food insecurity.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Symptoms of untreated depression and anxiety during pregnancy are associated with serious adverse effects for the pregnant person, birth outcomes, and child development. However, pregnant persons are less likely to be screened and treated compared with nonpregnant people. In this systematic review, we aimed to explore individual, provider, and systems factors that impact screening, identification, and treatment patterns for depression and anxiety during pregnancy. METHODS:Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were conducted within the United States and published in English between January 2012 and January 2023. Each study included analysis that compared rates of screening, identification, or treatment engagement and explicitly discussed disparities or health equity in marginalized groups. Fifteen articles met full inclusion criteria. RESULTS:Results demonstrated variation in the screening, identification, and treatment of depression and anxiety during pregnancy among diverse groups of patients. Screening rates ranged from 51.3% in Puerto Rico to 90.7% in Alaska. Among specific clinical populations, rates were as low as 2.0%. Fewer than half of patients were referred to treatment when indicated by screening or diagnoses. Patient characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic and health factors, mental health history, and obesity were associated with variation in the rates of screening, diagnoses, or treatment engagement. Language factors were the most common factor associated with lower rates of screening and treatment access. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS:Results suggest that many pregnant people are being overlooked and lack appropriate referrals or resources to access treatment. Results are consistent with previous findings that role confusion and lack of time, provider training, and interest contribute to low rates of screening and treatment. Future research must focus on system level factors to address perceived barriers to screening and treating depression and anxiety during pregnancy in a systematic and equitable way.

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Pregnancy represents a stressful period for both women and their families. Whether the family maintains functioning during pregnancy could have significant implications on maternal and child health. In this study, we explored individual- and family-level factors associated with family functioning in adolescent and young adult mothers. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:This study was a secondary analysis of 295 young mothers, ages between 15 and 21 years. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to estimate adjusted odds ratios of exploratory factors on the risk of being in high family functioning group. The parent study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Yale University. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED: = 0.008). DISCUSSION/UNASSIGNED:The models of care should be structured to support the continuity of maternity care in which health care providers have the opportunity to discover and utilize each family's strengths to provide the optimal caring experience for young mothers and their families as a unit.

BACKGROUND:Interprofessional simulation-based team training (ISBTT) is commonly used to optimize interprofessional teamwork in healthcare. The literature documents the benefits of ISBTT, yet effective interprofessional collaboration continues to be challenged by complex hierarchies and power dynamics. Explicitly addressing these issues during ISBTT may help participants acquire skills to navigate such challenges, but guidelines on how to do this are limited. METHODS:We applied an educational design research approach to develop and pilot structured facilitator guidelines that explicitly address power and hierarchy with interprofessional teams. We conducted this work in a previously established ISBTT program at our institution, between September 2020 and December 2021. We first reviewed the literature to identify relevant educational theories and developed design principles. We subsequently designed, revised, and tested guidelines. We used qualitative thematic and content analysis of facilitator interviews and video-recording of IBSTT sessions to evaluate the effects of the guidelines on the pre- and debriefs. RESULTS:Qualitative content analysis showed that structured guidelines shifted debriefing participation and content. Debriefings changed from physician-led discussions with a strong focus on medical content to conversations with more equal participation by nurses and physicians and more emphasis on teamwork and communication. The thematic analysis further showed how the conversation during debriefing changed and how interprofessional learning improved after the implementation of the guidelines. While power and hierarchy were more frequently discussed, for many facilitators these topics remained challenging to address. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:We successfully created and implemented guidelines for ISBTT facilitators to explicitly address hierarchy and power. Future work will explore how this approach to ISBTT impacts interprofessional collaboration in clinical practice.