Study: Tool assessing resources could prevent maternal deaths

Hospitals should use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Level of Care Assessment Tool to gain a better understanding of their resources and capabilities to make sure pregnant individuals receive risk-appropriate care, a study found. Published in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Journal of Patient Safety, the researchers found individuals delivering in hospitals with risk-inappropriate resources were more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity. Of the 33% of individuals with a high-risk obstetric condition, 13% delivered at a hospital with insufficient resources for their condition. The researchers analyzed 64,441 deliveries in Massachusetts in 2019. (AHRQ Journal of Patient Safety article, 5/15/24)