Perinatal Profiles Project

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ralph Catalano, Professor
School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley

Abstract

Objective: The goal of this project is to provide data to all the maternity hospitals in California for the purpose of continuous quality improvement (QI). The project is a result of collaborative between the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Branch of the California Department of Health Services, and the Regional Perinatal Programs of California (RPPC).

Methods: Each year, data are analyzed and presented according to birth place for (1) individual maternity hospitals, (2) hospitals by level-of-care, (3) the 18 MCH-designated perinatal regions, and (4) the state as a whole. Standardized fetal, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality ratios are calculated using the Birth Cohort Files and Birth Statistical Master Files. Additionally, births that occurred in each region and hospital are summarized by six characteristics: race/ethnicity, low birthweight, maternal characteristics (e.g., Medi-Cal deliveries, teenage mother, incomplete high school), prenatal care, method of delivery, and records with missing data. Region-specific and facility-specific rates for these descriptive variables are compared with the rates found in all California facilities.

Results: Facilities then use the data on their outcomes to compare their facility with others of the same level-of-care category and statewide ratios. This data is used for continuous quality improvement at the hospital, regional, and state levels.

Web Link

http://perinatalprofiles.berkeley.edu

Data Files Used

Birth Cohort Files and Birth Statistical Master Files

Keywords

fetal death • infant mortality • quality improvement