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Maternal Mortality Rate in African American Women in Alabama
This assessment consists of three parts.
Data Presentation
In this part of the assessment, you will apply the selected tool to the problem and produce a minimum of two visual data displays (charts, graphs, et cetera). Examples of tools you might include are:
Cost Benefit Analysis: Excel spreadsheet, converted into 2–3 worksheet tabs, graphs, or other visual display format.
Compliance Assessment: 3 major criteria converted into 3 separate pie charts or other graphic display format.
Lean Analysis: The percent of variance by major factor converted into 2–3 trend lines.
Note: At a minimum, provide a cost benefit analysis of the recommendation.
The data collection and analysis tools that you use should be ones that are “recognized” and used within the industry. The key to justifying the recommended tool(s) is to offer cogent evidence, such as precedents, from research published in scholarly and/or professional journals. All tools have limitations and challenges – identifying these problems will help you identify additional tools to use to ensure that your analysis will be as complete as possible.
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Data
In this part of the assessment you will analyze the collected data relative to benchmarks. Provide discussion as to whether the selected benchmarks are internal to the organization, external industry benchmarks, or a combination. Be sure to include a short summary of observations. You are expected to develop a quality improvement plan for a specific organization or geographic area. Note: If the problem requires an additional tool, such as a compliance audit tool, you may include more than one discussion of the results. Your analysis of the internal data compared to external benchmarks and best practices should lead you to develop pragmatic recommendations. his paper is expected to provide the actual data, both from a specific organization or geographic area (i.e., internal), as well as the benchmark data (i.e., external), and then offer an assessment / analysis of the data.
Evidence-Based Recommendations
In this final part of the assessment, provide evidence-based recommendations that will help to address the identified problem. Be sure to support your recommendations with references to current, scholarly, and/or authoritative sources. Also include an explanation as to why the recommendations are feasible for this particular organization. For example, one recommendation might be to offer a new service line. Even though the new service may not generate an immediate profit, it might serve to draw additional patients into the network.
This paper must provide rationale for the selected problem analysis model or tool. Substantiate rationale with an authoritative source. Analyze data relative to internal and external benchmarks. Analysis must include the rationale for the selected external benchmark. Construct evidence-based recommendations which may include ethical, legal, regulatory, and organizational standards. Recommendations include references to multiple authoritative sources.
Data Presentation
Maternal mortality rates in Alabama have risen in recent years, disproportionately impacting Black women (Alabama Department of Public Health, 2020). As shown in Figure 1, the maternal mortality rate for Black women in Alabama reached 58.1 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020—over twice the rate for white women (27.9 deaths per 100,000 live births).
Figure 1. Maternal Mortality Rates by Race in Alabama, 2020
(Alabama Department of Public Health, 2020)
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Data
Alabama’s maternal mortality rates significantly exceed national benchmarks. The U.S. maternal mortality rate in 2020 was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births (CDC, 2022). Disparities also exist compared to neighboring states—Mississippi and Georgia had 2020 maternal mortality rates of 40.7 and 27.5, respectively (America’s Health Rankings, 2023).
Qualitative factors help explain these disparities. Interviews with Alabama obstetricians revealed shortages in postpartum care, lack of Medicaid expansion, and implicit bias negatively impact care for Black women (March of Dimes, 2022). These align with national studies finding Black women face barriers in access, quality of care, and provider bias (Crear-Perry et al., 2021).
Evidence-Based Recommendations
To reduce maternal mortality rates, Alabama should expand Medicaid eligibility (Sobel et al., 2022). This would increase access to prenatal and postpartum care shown to lower mortality (Rayburn et al., 2021). The state should also implement implicit bias training for providers and invest in community health programs. Models like Chicago’s Group on Maternal Morbidity and Mortality demonstrated success through multi-stakeholder review boards and quality improvement initiatives (Crear-Perry et al., 2021). Legal and regulatory reforms could address issues like lack of midwifery licensing (Rayburn et al., 2021).
In conclusion, a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy is needed to promote health equity and reduce alarming disparities in Alabama’s maternal health outcomes. Policy changes, provider training, and community support can help ensure all women receive respectful, bias-free care.
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