Evaluation of a Health System Integrated Model for Postpartum Education and Support in Rural Populations

Overview

This study was designed to evaluate the implementation of the Nurse Education and Support Team (NEST) Program for postpartum women who reside in 5 rural counties in North Carolina. Overarching Hypothesis: Mothers and infants residing in rural communities, randomized to the NEST-Rural care model over the 3-year course of the project will: 1. Receive more coordinated care for addressing social, mental and physical health needs. 2. Experience fewer postpartum hospital readmissions and decreased utilization of emergency departments (ED) for healthcare. 3. Experience higher adherence to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for preventive care, including recently updated ongoing postpartum care, serial well-child visits and vaccinations compared to those assigned to usual care. This group will be compared to those assigned to usual care,

This is a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) designed study evaluating the implementation of the Nurse Education and Support Team (NEST) Program for postpartum women who reside in 5 rural counties (Davie, Davidson, Yadkin, Wilkes and Stokes counties) in North Carolina. The study cohort will be for all mothers residing in these rural counties and delivering their infant(s) in the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Birth Center. It is anticipated that 1,300 mother-infant dyads will be enrolled and randomized to either usual care \[visit 4-6 weeks postpartum\] (\~650) or NEST-Rural care (\~650). The NEST model is unique in that it supports both maternal and infant health, with an emphasis on using strategies aligned with evidence-based guidelines for postpartum and infant healthcare. Another important feature of NEST is integration of service delivery in the healthcare system. This integration facilitates reaching mother-infant dyads and bi-directional communication with the mother's and infant's healthcare providers to enable appropriate, timely healthcare. For example, as part of NEST, mothers are discharged from the hospital with a remote blood pressure monitor. Blood pressures are transmitted to a service hub through an app that is downloaded onto her phone prior to hospital discharge. The hub alerts the healthcare team, which follows-up with her to determine appropriate care. Randomization to NEST-Rural services will include 3-5 nurse encounters with mothers and their infants in the postpartum period, postpartum remote blood pressure monitoring, breastfeeding support, infant weight checks, linking mothers and infants to needed social, behavioral, and health-related resources, and integration of service delivery with healthcare providers. Services will initiate in the postpartum hospital unit, with a NEST Coordinator introducing the program and identifying and making referrals and/or providing resources for emergent needs (e.g. pack-n-play, diapers), and offering and scheduling a follow-up nurse visit (home or telehealth-based, depending on needs) 2-3 weeks postpartum. Up to two additional nurse and/or social worker home/virtual visits will be provided, depending on the family's needs. At six weeks postpartum, the NEST Coordinator will contact the family to inquire whether any referrals were made and assess for continuing gaps in support. Following nurse encounters, a note will be sent to the mother's and infant's healthcare providers. If acute concerns are identified, the nurse will contact the provider immediately for additional care.