For Immediate Release
Contact: Carol Ann Campbell
cacampbell@njhcqi.org (973-567-1901)
Data Show Birthing People Participating in TeamBirth at NJ Hospitals Feel Better Informed and More Respected
Innovative National Model Launching at Four More New Jersey Hospitals, Bringing Number of TeamBirth Hospitals to 13
PRINCETON — September 16, 2024 — Birthing people who experience the national evidence-based program TeamBirth at New Jersey hospitals and birthing centers reported high rates of positive experiences, including feeling heard, feeling included in their care, and feeling respected, according to new data released today by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute.
A survey of nearly 2,000 birthing people found that those who experienced TeamBirth reported higher rates of autonomy and involvement in shared decision-making during childbirth than those who did not experience the program. TeamBirth promotes shared decision-making and uses patient-friendly tools to reliably communicate information across the full care team, including the person giving birth.
TeamBirth uses structured huddles with the full care team, including the birthing person, and a shared planning whiteboard to elevate patient preferences and promote their active involvement in decisions during childbirth. The approach moves away from the traditional medical hierarchy in health care settings.
The Quality Institute, in partnership with Ariadne Labs, is leading the initiative in New Jersey. The state Department of Health provided primary funding and is a partner in the implementation of the rigorously tested, innovative model of care in New Jersey.
Currently nine hospitals and birthing centers in New Jersey have implemented TeamBirth. RJWBarnabas Health’s Jersey City Medical Center and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital will launch TeamBirth this month. Two additional hospitals, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Hackensack University Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center, plan to launch TeamBirth before the end of the year. The Quality Institute is currently training other New Jersey hospitals on TeamBirth and expects to announce additional launches early next year.
“Our survey results show that birthing people feel more informed and heard. More feel that their choices are respected,” said Adelisa Perez Hudgins, MSN, RN, Director of Quality at the Quality Institute. “That is considerable and a reason that more New Jersey hospitals are committing to TeamBirth.”
Surveys from 1,287 birthing people in New Jersey who reported experiencing TeamBirth found that:
- 89% felt involved in decision-making
- 90% felt informed about options for their care
- 93% felt they understood information given to them
- 91% felt they had enough time to consider their options for care
- 94% felt their choice was respected
In contrast, the 677 birthing people who reported not experiencing TeamBirth reported lower levels of autonomy and involvement in shared decision-making:
- 73% felt involved in decision-making
- 70% felt informed about options for their care
- 77% felt they understood information given to them
- 76% felt they had enough time to consider their options for care
- 80% felt their choice was respected
Critically, TeamBirth may play a role in mitigating racial disparities in childbirth experience measures, particularly among Black or African American birthing people. In New Jersey, 90 percent of Black or African American patients who reported experiencing TeamBirth had high autonomy levels, compared to 55 percent who did not experience the initiative, reflecting a 35-percentage-point increase. Similar trends were observed among other racial and ethnic groups, including a 22-percentage-point increase among Asian patients and a 16-percentage-point increase among Hispanic patients.
The program allows the birthing parent and support person to voice emotions, opinions, and concerns in a safe and supported way.
On Sept. 20, there will be a TeamBirth presentation and huddle simulation at the Quality Institute’s Maternity Action Plan conference, where Amber Weiseth from Ariadne Labs will be a speaker.
Hospital officials said they are eager to offer or expand TeamBirth.
“We are proud to participate in TeamBirth, which adds to our comprehensive and robust strategies to improve maternal outcomes and the patient experience,’’ said Dr. Jose Azar, Chief Quality Officer for Hackensack Meridian Health, which has participated in the program since 2022. “It’s great to see such a successful program expanding as we work collectively to ensure the health of New Jersey moms and newborns.’’
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is the final Virtua Health campus to implement TeamBirth.
“We have seen the tremendous benefit this program provides to patients and providers alike, and so we are delighted to offer it to our Camden community as well,” said Nicole Lamborne, MD, vice president of clinical operations for women’s and children’s services for Virtua Health. “The TeamBirth model supports open communication, personalized care, and outstanding experiences. It’s truly remarkable.”
RWJBarnabas Health said the system is committed to quality, respectful and equitable maternity care.
“We are so proud that our birthing hospitals were among the first to launch the TeamBirth model, which fosters a better patient experience and improved birth outcomes,” said Suzanne Spernal, DNP, APN-BC, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, Senior Vice President, Women’s Health at RWJBarnabas Health. “We are excited to now implement TeamBirth at Jersey City Medical Center and continue our partnership with the Quality Institute, the New Jersey Department of Health, and Ariadne Labs.”
New Jersey parents and health care professionals can learn more about the TeamBirth initiative, additional data, and hospitals offering TeamBirth at a new resource page on the Quality Institute website.
The Team Birth work in New Jersey is largely funded by the New Jersey Department of Health through a federal HRSA Maternal Innovation Grant.
About the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute
The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute’s (Quality Institute) mission is to improve the safety, quality, and affordability of health care for everyone. Our membership comes from all stakeholders in health care. Together with our 100 plus members, we are working toward a world where all people receive safe, equitable, and affordable health care and live their healthiest lives.
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About Ariadne Labs
Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. With a mission to save lives and reduce suffering, our vision is that health systems equitably deliver the best possible care for every patient, everywhere, every time. We use human centered design, health systems implementation science, public health expertise, and frontline clinical care experience to design, test and spread scalable systems-level solutions to some of health care’s biggest problems. From developing checklists and conversation guides to fostering international collaborations and establishing global standards of measurement, our work has been accessed in more than 165 countries, touching hundreds of millions of lives.