AMA recommendations to improve maternal health outcomes

As the largest professional association for physicians and the umbrella organization for state and national specialty medical societies, the AMA is committed to working to support federal and state efforts to reduce and prevent the rising rates of maternal mortality and serious or near-fatal maternal morbidity.

In order to provide recommendations (PDF) to the administration and Congress on maternal health, the AMA has worked collaboratively over the last year with a variety of members of the Federation of Medicine, including relevant specialty societies, key state medical societies and physicians from rural parts of the U.S.

As a result of these efforts, the AMA has cultivated the following recommendations for the administration that we believe will aid in the development of both near-term goals and quantitative measures, as well as provide additional support and information for the administration’s long-term goals as identified in the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. The AMA believes that the implementation of these recommendations, in conjunction with increased funding from Congress, will help to significantly improve maternal health outcomes across the country.

• Recommendation 1a: Ensure feasibility and implementation of Core AIM Patient Safety Bundles and checklists.
• Recommendation 1b: Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) within the pregnant and postpartum population by enhancing medical-legal partnerships.

• Recommendation 2a: Promote telehealth and home monitoring during pregnancy and the postpartum period and address barriers to providing remote patient care.
• Recommendation 2b: Create consistent definitions and ensure the acquisition of the right type of data.

• Recommendation 3a: Address physician workforce needs in maternity care.
• Recommendation 3b: Address physician education needs in maternity care.
• Recommendation 3c: Utilize new payment models to prevent maternal deaths.

• AMA advocacy to improve maternal health
• AMA initiatives to improve maternal health outcomes
• AMA joint report studies impact of OB/GYN facility closures in Chicago