Strengthening Interprofessional Collaboration to Improve Transfers Between a Freestanding Birth Center and an Academic Medical Center

Abstract

The number of individuals choosing to give birth in a freestanding birth center has doubled since 2004. As many as half of all pregnant persons planning for a birth center birth ultimately develop medical complications and are unable to give birth outside of the hospital. Integrating birth centers into their regional perinatal health care system optimizes outcomes by establishing predetermined pathways for antepartum and intrapartum transfers of care and facilitates ongoing communication and cooperation among clinicians. The Vanderbilt Birth Center is a freestanding birth center that is operated by an academic medical center and partners with a hospital‐based midwifery practice that cares for patients transferring from the birth center. Since the inception of the birth center in 2015, the entire perinatal team has worked to improve the process and experience of patient transfer from birth center to hospital care. This article will present strategies implemented through the ongoing collaboration between birth center and hospital health care providers. These include adopting a shared electronic health record, clinical practice guidelines that align across birth sites, preparing birth center patients prenatally for the possibility hospital transfer, the presentation of a united team across birth sites, clear and widely disseminated communication pathways for hospital admission and patient handoff, and ongoing opportunities for interteam communication, collaboration, and education. These strategies may benefit similar midwifery practice models as they seek to partner with larger health care systems and improve the transfer experience for their patients.

Analysis of Closed Claims Among All Medical Specialties: Importance of Communication and Other Non-Clinical Contributing Factors

“…Studies have provided mixed, though generally positive results on the use of digital strategies to facilitate communication between healthcare facilities. 21 , 22 The electronic health records could also be used as an auditing tool to confirm and document communication, whether between the patient and provider, among providers, or between facilities. 23 …”

“…Studies have provided mixed, though generally positive results on the use of digital strategies to facilitate communication between healthcare facilities. 21,22 The electronic health records could also be used as an auditing tool to confirm and document communication, whether between the patient and provider, among providers, or between facilities. 23 Communication among providers increased as a contributing factor over the study period despite government mandates that have led to widespread adoption of the electronic health record and the emergence of sophisticated communication technologies.…”

Innovations in Midwifery Practice and Care

“…6 Similarly, the Vanderbilt midwifery practices share their approach to care and their process for facilitating transfer from a freestanding birth center to an academic hospital when enhanced care services are needed. 7 Further analysis from the Strong Start enhanced birth center care model shows that the model itself seems to result in equivalent care outcomes regardless of client payment type. 8 Improving care to individuals and families through counseling and added skills is portrayed in 4 articles.…”