Since its implementation the Progesterone Quality Improvement Project has engaged 23 high-volume Medicaid practice sites across Ohio in reducing the rate of preterm births for women in two high risk categories, before 32 weeks and before 37 weeks, through improved screening, identification, and treatment of pregnant women likely to benefit from progesterone therapy. The next phase of the project focuses on disseminating the progesterone change package to maternity care providers in the nine Ohio Equity Institute (OEI) communities and engaging practices in a QI learning collaborative.
Ohio has one of the highest infant mortality and the preterm birth rates in the nation. Preterm birth, defined as infants born prior to 37 weeks, is the leading cause of newborn death and accounts for nearly half of all infant deaths in Ohio. There are also disparities among racial and ethnic groups, and in Ohio, the preterm birth rate for African American women is 45 percent higher than the rate for all other women.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC-OPQC) was selected to design and implement the progesterone QI project using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Breakthrough Series Model for Improvement. During the spread phase, CCHMC-OPQC will apply best practices learned through the project implementation to additional maternity care providers in high-risk communities. In collaboration with the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) and Duet Health, OPQC will administer the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Form 2.0 (PRAF 2.0) to enhance care coordination and use of Progesterone for improved birth outcomes. GRC will partner with Duet Health to develop Medicaid claims data abstraction protocols and provide claims data to support efficient and effective administration of the Medicaid program.
This project is funded by the Ohio Department of Medicaid and the Ohio Department of Health and is administered by GRC.
