HealthExecWire

healthexecwire

HealthcareWebSummit: Managing and increasing trend: Elective Preterm Deliveries

In the past two decades the United States has witnessed a substantial increase in the rate of elective deliveries preterm birth (before 39 weeks of gestation). In 2006 alone, 12.8% of babies were born before they reached full term, an all-time high.

In some cases babies are being delivered between 37 and 39 weeks of gestational age for non-medically indicated reasons, having to do with the mother's comfort, family reasons, cultural preferences, or the physician's schedule or preferences. Contrary to widespread belief, elective deliveries before 39 weeks may put these babies at risk of being underdeveloped, especially in lung and brain capacity.

Employers, health plans and Medicaid programs have become increasingly concerned, and stakeholders have created multifaceted strategies to reduce the number of early deliveries that don't have a medical justification.

Join us Friday, February 24th, 2012 at 12PM Central, to hear an expert panel discuss the problems surrounding elective preterm deliveries, and strategic approaches that stakeholders can consider adopting.

Larry Boress, president and CEO, Midwest Business Group on Health, provides a purchaser perspective and defines the problem of non-medically required elective deliveries before term. He will explain why payers, employers, and Medicaid agencies are alarmed, and conduct a brief analysis of risks and costs involved in these cases, along with discussing the health consequences to mothers and infants of early deliveries and C-sections.

Harold Miller, executive director, Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, will provide a perspective on the impact of this issue for hospitals, and will address how reduction of non-medically justified early deliveries affects hospital finances, operations, and staffing. Mr. Miller will present new models for reimbursement for hospitals and physicians to discourage early deliveries, and elaborate on the consequences of moving from fee-for-service to bundled reimbursement for labor, delivery and neonatal care.

Finally, Peter Weeks, M.D., Chairman for Obstetrics & Gynecology at Edward Hospital, in Naperville, Illinois will discuss how their facility and clinicians worked with the March of Dimes to achieve a 95% reduction in elective early deliveries in 12 months. Doctor Weeks will as a part of his case study, address how education of physicians and administrators is key to get buy-in, along with implementing plus a hard-stop in scheduling, and emphasizing the importance to physicians of trouble-shooting and problem solving to alleviate worry and achieve results.

Participants will be able to:

Define the problem of non-medically required elective deliveries before term; and understand the cause for alarm by purchasers and clinicians
Identify the risks and costs involved in these cases, and the health consequences to mothers and infants of early deliveries and C-sections.
Consider the impact of reduction of non-medically justified early deliveries upon hospital finances, operations, and staffing
Explore new models for reimbursement for hospitals and physicians to discourage early deliveries, and the consequences of moving from fee-for-service to bundled reimbursement for labor, delivery and neonatal care
Learn how Edward Hospital worked with the March of Dimes to achieve a 95% reduction in elective early deliveries in 12 months
Engage in interactive learning through live webinar providing online question submission, attendee surveys, feedback and opportunity for follow up questions, and networking with attendees, faculty and other professionals through dedicated LinkedIn group.