Dataset Information

Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To understand hospital- and county-level factors for rural obstetric unit closures, using mixed methods.

Data sources

Hospital discharge data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Statewide Inpatient Databases, American Hospital Association Annual Survey, and Area Resource File for 2010, as well as 2013-2014 telephone interviews of all 306 rural hospitals in nine states with at least 10 births in 2010. Via interview, we ascertained obstetric unit status, reasons for closures, and postclosure community capacity for prenatal care.

Study design

Multivariate logistic regression and qualitative analysis were used to identify factors associated with unit closures between 2010 and 2014.

Principal findings

Exactly 7.2 percent of rural hospitals in the study closed their obstetric units. These units were smaller in size, more likely to be privately owned, and located in communities with lower family income, fewer obstetricians, and fewer family physicians. Prenatal care was still available in 17 of 19 communities, but local women would need to travel an average of 29 additional miles to access intrapartum care.

Conclusions

Rural obstetric unit closures are more common in smaller hospitals and communities with a limited obstetric workforce. Concerns about continuity of rural maternity care arise for women with local prenatal care but distant intrapartum care.

SUBMITTER: Hung P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4946037 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?

Hung Peiyin P Kozhimannil Katy B KB Casey Michelle M MM Moscovice Ira S IS

Health services research 20160125 4

<h4>Objectives</h4>To understand hospital- and county-level factors for rural obstetric unit closures, using mixed methods.<h4>Data sources</h4>Hospital discharge data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's Statewide Inpatient Databases, American Hospital Association Annual Survey, and Area Resource File for 2010, as well as 2013-2014 telephone interviews of all 306 rural hospitals in nine states with at least 10 births in 2010. Via interview, we ascertained obstetric unit status, reason ...[more]

PMID: 26806952

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Dataset Information

Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?

Objectives

Data sources

Study design

Principal findings

Conclusions

Publications

Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?

Similar Datasets

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