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Faculty have requested this content not be shared on social media
CME Credit Offered
CME Credit Offered
Abstract Award
Abstract Award
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Poster Session 4

(998) Improving care coordination for socially complex perinatal patients: a Human-Centered Design study

Friday, January 31, 2025
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM  
Objective: Designing novel solutions to address care fragmentation in the perinatal ecosystem requires rigorous evaluation of current workflows and engagement with the diverse network of stakeholders supporting patient care. Human-centered design (HCD) is an established methodology for identifying challenges in clinical workflows, with the goal of producing actionable insights to inform novel interventions. The objectives of this study were to use HCD methodologies to 1) understand the processes of transitioning perinatal care within a safety-net system, and 2) identify opportunities to improve care coordination for socially complex pregnant patients.

Study Design: We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients, clinical providers, and staff at community-based organizations (CBOs) working in a safety-net healthcare system. Interviews were analyzed using an HCD approach to inductive thematic analysis. We also completed an inventory of all questionnaires administered to patients by their perinatal care teams. Items were coded according to inductively generated themes for a descriptive analysis of item overlap.


Results: Fifteen patients, 21 clinical providers and 6 CBO staff participated in interviews. Six insights statements emerged: 1) the perinatal care system is resource rich but coordination is poor, 2) safety-net hospitals rely on CBOs to support patients but lack reliable communication systems with them 3) patient data protections complicate collaborative care planning, 4) poor communication around substance-use policies introduces bias in decision-making, 5) patients expect continuity of care and seeing new providers may engender mistrust. Eighteen perinatal questionnaires containing 833 items were coded into 21 unique themes, with 17 themes (81%) being duplicated between questionnaires.

Conclusion: Using an HCD approach, we identified key challenges in care coordination for socially complex perinatal patients. Interventions strengthening informational continuity between clinical and community-based providers offer promise for improved care delivery in safety-net systems.