Publications by authors named "L Patchen"
This Report from the Field chronicles the establishment of Georgetown University's Perinatal Legal Assistance and Wellbeing Project, a medical-legal partnership in Washington, D.C. It describes foundational steps, implementation strategies, and lessons learned, and reflects on impacts of addressing the unmet legal needs of birthing individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The 42 days after delivery ("fourth trimester") are a high-risk period for birthing individuals and newborns, especially those who are racially and ethnically marginalized due to structural racism.
Objective: To fill a gap in the critical "fourth trimester," we developed 2 ruled-based chatbots-one for birthing individuals and one for newborn caregivers-that provided trusted information about postbirth warning signs and newborn care and connected patients with health care providers.
Methods: A total of 4370 individuals received the newborn chatbot outreach between September 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, and 3497 individuals received the postpartum chatbot outreach between November 16, 2022, and December 31, 2023.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of maternal death among Black women in the United States. A large, urban hospital adopted remote patient blood pressure monitoring (RBPM) to increase blood pressure monitoring and improve the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) by reducing the time to diagnosis of HDP. The digital platform integrates with the electronic health record (EHR), automatically inputting RBPM readings to the patients' chart; communicating elevated blood pressure values to the healthcare team; and offers a partial offset of the cost through insurance plans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses specific risks for mothers and babies during and after pregnancy, increasing complications for all parties involved.
- Combining education and management of DM with obstetrical care can significantly benefit those giving birth, enhancing safety and health outcomes.
- This study outlines the creation and execution of a perinatal DM program at a large medical facility, aiming to share insights for similar programs in different healthcare environments.
Safe Babies, Safe Moms: A Multifaceted, Trauma Informed Care Initiative.
Matern Child Health J
January 2024
Purpose: This report describes a multifaceted, trauma-informed initiative developed to address racial/ethnic maternal and infant health inequities in Washington, D.C.
Description: Structural racism and systemic oppression of marginalized communities have played a critical role in maternal and infant health inequities in the United States.