Online Program

294731
Measuring challenges and successes in infant mortality prevention


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 12:50 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Joann Petrini, PhD, MPH, Department of Medical Education and Research, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT
The USDHHS Secretary's Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality (SACIM) has endorsed “investing in adequate data systems, surveillance systems and research” as one of its six major strategies for reducing infant mortality. Timely and accurate data are needed to help inform the most important policies and programs for families across the country. Collecting, analyzing, and applying the knowledge from a wide range of data will help to define the extent, causes, and contributors to infant mortality and poor birth outcomes. Without such data, we cannot understand the problem, monitor trends in service utilization, and use data for quality improvement. The SACIM's recommendations include: 1) investments in the National Vital Statistics system to assure timely, and accurate birth and maternal and infant death statistics; 2) Incentivize reporting of Medicaid perinatal data from every state, based on a uniform set of quality and outcome measures; 3) Provide resources to expand PRAMS; to every state; 4) Systematic use of quality measures for women and children; 4) Prioritize research into the causes and prevention of infant mortality through key HHS agencies.(N=176)

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education

Learning Objectives:
Identify the current status of data systems available to measure health care access, quality, and birth outcomes. Identify areas for investment in data systems and research as recommended by the SACIM. Identify how SACIM recommendations can impact efforts to reduce infant mortality.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Director of Clinical Outcomes and Health Services Research. My experience has given me a vast amount of exposure to the SACIM recommendations related to infant mortality.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.