Researchers used data reported by 138,073 patients to learn more about factors that may contribute to differences in the care they received two to six months after childbirth. Specifically, they looked at two standard components recommended by national quality standards – depression screening and contraceptive counseling. The highest receipt of these two components was among privately insured White urban individuals; they were both significantly lower for Medicaid-insured patients, rural residents, and people of racially minoritized groups. But for individuals in these last three groups, receipt of other postpartum components – e.g., screening for smoking or abuse, birth space counseling, and discussions about eating and exercise – was significantly higher. Published in the JAMA Health Forum, the study is the work of the HRSA/FORHP-supported University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center.
