Addressing Social Determinants to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes

Maternal morbidity and mortality are indicators of community health and well-being. The ratios for Black and Latin women are several times higher than other groups. Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) including food, housing, employment, and safety directly impact maternal health outcomes.

Best Practices for Addressing SDOH¹:

1. Inquire about and document factors that may influence a patient’s health and use of health care such as access to stable housing, access to food and safe drinking water, safety in the home, and employment conditions.
2. Maximize referrals to social services to help improve patient’s abilities to fulfill needs.
3. Provide access to interpreter services for all patient interactions when patient language is not the clinician’s language.
4. Acknowledge that race, institutionalized racism, and other forms of discrimination serve as social determinants of health.

In addition, prenatal and postpartum care are important. Pregnant members should be seen for a prenatal visit within the first trimester, or within 42 days of enrollment to the plan. Postpartum visits should occur within 7 to 84 days of delivery.

Special Beginnings   is designed to help Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) STAR members and their babies get off to a healthy start. The program provides education materials and support, pregnancy risk factor identification, ongoing communication/monitoring, and access to an online  resource center. Members are supported from early pregnancy through 12 weeks after delivery. To ensure BCBSTX members participate in the Special Beginnings Program, we ask our physicians to please advise our members to call 1-888-421-7781 to directly enroll.

Resources:
Reference and review the BCBSTX Preventive Care Guidelines (PCGs), Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), and THSteps for Medical Providers  for more information on this and other important topics for treating your patients.

¹ Importance of Social Determinants of Health and Cultural Awareness in the Delivery of Reproductive Health Care  (January, 2018).

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.