Open AccessThe Potential for Health Information Technology Tools to Reduce Racial Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
Author(s) -
Beda JeanFrancois,
Tiffani Lash,
Rada K. Dagher,
Melissa C. Green Parker,
Sacha B. Han,
Tamara Lewis Johnson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of women's health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.195
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1931-843X
pISSN - 1540-9996
DOI - 10.1089/jwh.2020.8889
Subject(s) - medicine , psychological intervention , health equity , socioeconomic status , health care , ethnic group , telemedicine , prenatal care , medline , medical emergency , family medicine , environmental health , nursing , public health , population , sociology , anthropology , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Health information technology (health IT) potentially is a promising vital lever to address racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality (MMM). This is especially relevant given that approximately 60% of maternal deaths are considered preventable. 1-36 Interventions that leverage health IT tools to target the underlying drivers of disparities at the patient, clinician, and health care system levels potentially could reduce disparities in quality of care throughout the continuum (antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum) of maternity care. This article presents an overview of the research (and gaps) on the potential of health IT tools to document SDoH and community-level geocoded data in EHR-based CDS systems, minimize implicit bias, and improve adherence to clinical guidelines and coordinated care to inform multilevel (patient, clinician, system) interventions throughout the continuum of maternity care for health disparity populations impacted by MMM. Telemedicine models for improving access in rural areas and new technologies for risk assessment and disease management ( e.g. , regarding preeclampsia) also are discussed.