Patterns and Experiences of VA Maternity Care Coordination for Women Veterans

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Abstract Over the past decade, the number of women Veterans using VHA care has nearly doubled. A substantial proportion of these women Veterans are of reproductive age, with over 90% of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) women Veterans age 45 or less. Recent evidence suggests the number of women Veterans delivering babies using VHA maternity benefits has nearly doubled in the past five years, and yet little information exists regarding how these women access and utilize maternity care. These pregnant Veterans may be at risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes as a result of complex medical and mental health problems they may be experiencing during their pregnancies. Therefore, coordinating maternity care with ongoing VHA care for pregnant Veterans is crucial. The immediate objective of this study is to inform the considerable debate about the best ways to coordinate maternity care for women veterans by characterizing maternity care coordination across VA facilities. The long-term objective of this work is to promote high-quality maternity care for women veterans through ongoing design, evaluation, and improvement of maternity care delivery and coordination. This project represents the first attempt in the VHA to systematically examine maternity care coordination for pregnant Veterans.