Only One-Quarter of Hospitals Use ‘Low-Interventional’ Approaches to Maternity Care, California Survey Finds

A survey of hospitals in California found that less than one-quarter used “low-interventional” approaches to maternity care, such as use of alternative positions during labor, nondrug pain relief and continuous labor support. The AHRQ-supported study, published in Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, found hospitals more likely to use low-interventional practices included those with midwife-led or physician-midwife collaborative labor management, and those in rural areas. Hospitals with a higher proportion of women covered by Medicaid or other safety-net programs were less likely to use low-interventional practices, as were those in counties with higher medical liability insurance premiums. Hospitals showed a consistent pattern in use of each of the nine low-interventional practices, suggesting a general culture in how each hospital delivers maternity care, researchers said. Access the abstract.