Following labor and delivery unit closures in rural New Hampshire, driving time to the nearest unit doubled

Following labor and delivery unit closures in rural New Hampshire, driving time to the nearest unit doubled

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Author(s):
McMorrow, Stacey, author
Benatar, Sarah, author
Fisher, Timothy J., author
Contributor(s):
Urban Institute, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : Urban Institute, October 2021
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Delivery Rooms -- supply & distribution
Health Facility Closure -- statistics & numerical data
Rural Health -- statistics & numerical data
Time Factors
New Hampshire
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Nine out of 16 rural hospitals in New Hampshire have closed their L&D units since 2000, largely because of financial pressures and quality concerns associated with declining birth rates. Closures reduce delivery options for pregnant women and result in increased travel time to an open unit, which can place women at risk of delivering in transit or arriving at the hospital without time for optimal care. Increased travel time may result in transportation, child care, or employment costs for women and their families and may increase stress and anxiety, which have implications for maternal and infant health. Closures can also affect access to prenatal care and continuity of care if providers relocate in response to closures or if local providers are no longer affiliated with available delivery hospitals. Closures may also be associated with some positive changes. For instance, women may be redirected to higher-volume hospitals, which can provide higher-quality care (Kozhimannil et al. 2014). To better understand the consequences of L&D unit closures for women in rural New Hampshire, we explored how the driving time to open units has changed and examined the association between proximity to an open unit and women’s health and socioeconomic characteristics. This study provides important information for providers and policymakers as they seek to ensure women in rural communities maintain access to high-quality maternity services.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (9 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918299583306676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918299583306676