Research Alert: January 5, 2022

An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status

Health services research has used a range of methods for measuring whether hospitals have an obstetric unit. Variation across methods may lead to inaccurate or inconsistent findings and to different conclusions about access to obstetric services. Having a clear and consistent measurement of obstetric care access is important for policymaking on rural health as well as maternal and infant health. As such, there is a need for a transparent and replicable process for consistently defining whether a hospital has an obstetric unit. The purpose of this methodology brief is to describe an enhanced method for identifying hospital-based obstetric unit status and for identifying closures of obstetric units.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Healthcare Access, Healthcare Quality, Hospitals, Rural Health Disparities, What is Rural?