Population-level data are increasingly being used for perinatal research. Join Drs. Danielle Panelli and David Rehkopf for a discussion on how to approach research questions using large data and what considerations must be made for use of socioeconomic variables available in these data. For more resources, see:

• Books: Social Epidemiology Barkmen Gleamore
• Journals: International Journal Epidemiology, American Journal of Epidemiology
• Authors: Nancy Krieger, Mary Bassett, Zinzi Bailey, Rachel Hardeman
• Paper: Chanelle J Howe, Zinzi D Bailey, Julia R Raifman, John W Jackson, Recommendations for Using Causal Diagrams to Study Racial Health Disparities, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 191, Issue 12, December 2022, Pages 1981–1989, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac140

Recorded: October 2022

Many gaps exist between the generation of evidence and the effective and equitable uptake of research findings into routine obstetric care. In this podcast from the SMFM Research Committee, Dr. Lynn Yee interviews Dr. Rebecca Hamm about the use of implementation science in obstetric research. Implementation science is the study of methods to promote the uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services. In this interview, Dr. Hamm introduces the concept of implementation science and discusses why it is relevant to improving equity in obstetric care. For more resources, please see:

• Brownson RC, Colditz GA, Proctor EK.  Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: Translating Science into Practice (2^nd ed). New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2017.
• Bauer M, Damschroder L, Hagedorn H, Smith J, Kilbourne A. An Introduction to Implementation Science for the Non-Specialist. BMC Psychology. 2015;3(32):1-12. 
• Tabak RG, Khong EC, Chambers DA, Brownson RC. Bridging Research and Practice: Models for Dissemination and Implementation Research. Am J Prev Med. 2012;43:337-350.  

Dr. Amy Valent speaks to Dr. Ebony Carter about her role as the Associate Editor for Equity with the Obstetrics & Gynecology, popularly known as "The Green Journal,” and the movement of the journal towards diversity and inclusion of scientific review and content. 

Recorded July 2022

Resources and References:

Obstetrics & Gynecology

1. Author Suggested Language
2. Information for Reviewers

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in journals of the American Psychological Association

Flanagin A, Frey T, Christiansen SL, AMA Manual of Style Committee. Updated Guidance on the Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in Medical and Science Journals. JAMA. 2021;326(7):621–627. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.13304.

Scott, K, Davis D. Destigmatizing and Democratizing Postpartum Care: A “Black Woman-Person First” Approach. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology: September 2022 - Volume 65 - Issue 3 - p 663-675 doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000729  

Ted Talk How Racism Makes Us Sick, from David R. Williams, MD

TEDx Talk Tackling Ethnic Health Disparities, from Lisa A. Cooper, MD

The effect of social determinants of health (SDoH) and systemic racism on obstetric health care outcomes is one of the most important challenges in reproductive health care. At the SMFM Annual Meeting in February 2022, the President's Workshop addressed Social Determinants of Health and Obstetric Outcomes. The goals of the workshop were to review the current evidence on the relationship between SDoH and obstetric outcomes, to discuss the epidemiological analysis of SDoH in obstetric settings, to review how SDoH manifest their effects physiologically, and to discuss interventions and strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects of adverse SDoH. In this podcast, workshop leaders Drs. William Grobman and Elizabeth Howell review key points from this SMFM event. This podcast is the second in a series developed by the SMFM Research Committee about the role of research in achieving health equity.

Speakers: Drs. Lynn Yee, William Grobman, and Elizabeth Howel

Recorded July 2022

On this podcast, Bekah Bischoff interviews special guests Dr. Dena Goffman and Dr. Jamie Morgan about how the Obstetric Hemorrhage bundle came to be and how it’s changed over time. They also describe some of the “pearls and pitfalls” from a MFM’s implementation journey. This is the third episode in a series exploring opportunities for MFMs to improve maternal health outcomes at their institution and across their states through participation in the AIM program. The podcast series is supported through an award from the AIM program.

Speakers: Dr. Dena Goffman (MFM and professor at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center), Dr. Jamie Morgan (MFM and professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center), and Bekah Bischoff (Series Moderator).

Recorded June 2022

On this podcast, Bekah Bischoff interviews special guests Dr. Peter Bernstein and Dr. C. Andrew Combs about the genesis of Severe Hypertension in Pregnancy Bundle, recent efforts to update the bundle, and how one health system implemented the bundle. The guests also describe opportunities to champion the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) program in your own institution. This is the second episode in a series exploring opportunities for MFMs to improve maternal health outcomes at their institution and across their states through participation in the AIM program. The podcast series is supported through an award from the AIM program.

Speakers: Dr. Peter Bernstein (MFM and professor at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine), Dr. C. Andrew Combs (MFM at Obstetrix of San Jose), and Bekah Bischoff (Series Moderator).

Recorded: June 2022

Speakers:  Dr. Nick Burns (MFM fellow at the University of Washington), Dr. Fouad Atallah (MFM at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY), Dr. Christina Davidson (MFM at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX), Dr. Andy Combs (MFM at Mednax Obstetrics Group in San Jose, CA), and Dr. Rebecca Hamm (MFM at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA). 

Recorded April 2022

Speakers: Dr. Nick Burns (MFM fellow at the University of Washington), Dr. Andy Combs (Immediate Past-Chair of the PSQC and MFM at Mednax in San Jose, CA), and Dr. Rebecca Hamm (Vice Chair of the PSQC and Assistant Professor of MFM at the University of Pennsylvania

Recorded: April 2022

Speakers: Dr. Catherine Albright and Dr. Sarahn Wheeler (lead author of "Race in Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research - Dispelling Myths and Taking an Accurate, Antiracist Approach")

Recorded: April 2022

Profound inequities in maternal and infant outcomes based on race exist, and the maternal-fetal medicine community has an important role in eliminating these disparities. On this podcast, Dr. Catherine Albright interviews Dr. Sarahn Wheeler about the SMFM Special Statement, “Race in Maternal-Fetal Medicine Research - Dispelling Myths and Taking an Accurate, Antiracist Approach,” of which Dr. Wheeler is the lead author. The statement was published in the April 2022 issue of AJOG and provides specific suggestions for approaching research with an antiracist framework. This podcast is the first in a series developed by the SMFM Research Committee, intended to address the role that research can play in achieving health equity.

Speakers: Dr. Kate Menard (MFM and professor at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill), Emily Greenwood (Interim Senior Program Manager for the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health at ACOG), and Bekah Bischoff (Series Moderator).

Recorded: March 2022

On this podcast, Bekah Bischoff interviews special guests Dr. Kate Menard and Emily Greenwood about the history of the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) program, the program’s current activities and objectives, and how MFMs can become involved in AIM at the institutional and state level. This is the first episode in a series that will explore opportunities for MFMs to improve maternal health outcomes at their institution and across their states through participation in the AIM program. The podcast series is supported through an award from the AIM program.