Maternity Care: Appropriate Follow-Up Services Critical with Short Hospital Stays

摘要

In an effort to contains health care costs, some health care plans have adopted guidelines to shorten hospital stays associated with maternity care--the most common condition requiring hospitalization. To better understand the issues involved, you asked us to (1) identify the risks that are attributable to short hospital stays for maternity care, (2) examine health plan actions to ensure quality postpartum care for short-stay newborns, and (3) determine state responses to concerns about patient protection. To develop this information, we obtained trend dataon the length of inpatient develop this information, we obtained trend data on the length of inpatient stays for newborns, reviewed pertinent literature, interviewed medical experts on the health effects of abbreviated stays, and reviewed relevant state statutes.