Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity
Maternal mortality and morbidity are enduring public health crises disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other marginalized populations. This inequity highlights the necessity for a comprehensive, equity-driven framework to address systemic failures within maternal healthcare...
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| Language: | English |
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Mary Ann Liebert
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Health Equity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0065 |
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| author | Wendy Post |
| author_facet | Wendy Post |
| author_sort | Wendy Post |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Maternal mortality and morbidity are enduring public health crises disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other marginalized populations. This inequity highlights the necessity for a comprehensive, equity-driven framework to address systemic failures within maternal healthcare. Although the Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (MMRIA) provides valuable retrospective insights into maternal deaths, its capabilities must be expanded by integration with real-time interventions. Innovative approaches, including obstetric decompensation scoring tools like the Obstetric Early Warning Score and Maternal Early Warning Score (OEWS) and Maternal Early Warning Trigger systems, are strongly advocated. These predictive technologies, when integrated into electronic medical records, generate real-time alerts that enable clinicians to proactively mitigate complications before they escalate. Simulation-based training further complements these technologies, immersing healthcare teams in realistic, high-stress scenarios drawn directly from maternal mortality case studies. Such immersive programs effectively address implicit biases, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and foster cultural humility, particularly benefiting marginalized populations. Additionally, the establishment of Maternal Morbidity Review Committees (MMORCs) is proposed as a critical advancement, enabling multidisciplinary, immediate interventions during acute maternal events. Collectively, these innovations aim to transition maternal health care from a reactive to a proactive model, significantly improving maternal outcomes. Highlighted is the urgency for systemic reforms and data-driven interventions to eliminate inequities, prioritizing prevention, equity, and cultural humility to ensure maternal healthcare is equitable, accesible and inclusive. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af44cba8a8f742f28eb030c1a77239be |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2473-1242 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Equity |
| spelling | doaj-art-af44cba8a8f742f28eb030c1a77239be2025-08-20T03:49:46ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422025-02-019126626810.1089/heq.2024.0065Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health EquityWendy Post0School of Nursing, George Washington University, Ashburn, Virginia, USA.Maternal mortality and morbidity are enduring public health crises disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and other marginalized populations. This inequity highlights the necessity for a comprehensive, equity-driven framework to address systemic failures within maternal healthcare. Although the Maternal Mortality Review Information Application (MMRIA) provides valuable retrospective insights into maternal deaths, its capabilities must be expanded by integration with real-time interventions. Innovative approaches, including obstetric decompensation scoring tools like the Obstetric Early Warning Score and Maternal Early Warning Score (OEWS) and Maternal Early Warning Trigger systems, are strongly advocated. These predictive technologies, when integrated into electronic medical records, generate real-time alerts that enable clinicians to proactively mitigate complications before they escalate. Simulation-based training further complements these technologies, immersing healthcare teams in realistic, high-stress scenarios drawn directly from maternal mortality case studies. Such immersive programs effectively address implicit biases, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and foster cultural humility, particularly benefiting marginalized populations. Additionally, the establishment of Maternal Morbidity Review Committees (MMORCs) is proposed as a critical advancement, enabling multidisciplinary, immediate interventions during acute maternal events. Collectively, these innovations aim to transition maternal health care from a reactive to a proactive model, significantly improving maternal outcomes. Highlighted is the urgency for systemic reforms and data-driven interventions to eliminate inequities, prioritizing prevention, equity, and cultural humility to ensure maternal healthcare is equitable, accesible and inclusive.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0065maternal mortalityhealth inequitymaternal morbiditypreventable deathssimulation trainingmaternal morbidity review committees |
| spellingShingle | Wendy Post Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity Health Equity maternal mortality health inequity maternal morbidity preventable deaths simulation training maternal morbidity review committees |
| title | Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity |
| title_full | Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity |
| title_fullStr | Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity |
| title_short | Beyond “Maria”: Charting a Course for Maternal Health Equity |
| title_sort | beyond maria charting a course for maternal health equity |
| topic | maternal mortality health inequity maternal morbidity preventable deaths simulation training maternal morbidity review committees |
| url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0065 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wendypost beyondmariachartingacourseformaternalhealthequity |