DP21-001 SC Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (SC PRAMS)

SOUTH CAROLINA (SC) PRAMS PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The SC PRAMS program will collect data from mothers that have recently delivered live-born infants about their behaviors, experiences, and attitudes before, during, and after pregnancy. The broad, long-term objectives of this project are to improve the overall health and outcomes for SC mothers and infants. More specifically, data collected by SC PRAMS will be used to monitor progress toward the Healthy People (HP) 2020 Maternal and Child Health (MCH) objectives, identify cost-efficient ways to reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, and inform and evaluate the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) MCH programs. Improving the health status of pregnant women, newborn infants, and post-partum women are important components of the DHEC mission, which is to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians by protecting and promoting the health of the public and the environment. SC PRAMS data collection will be conducted by taking a stratified, systematic monthly sample of SC mothers with a live birth, who will then be surveyed about their behaviors, experiences, and attitudes before, during, and shortly after pregnancy. Data collection will be primarily done by mailed surveys, with a telephone follow-up phase for mail non-respondents. A combined mail and telephone response rate of 55%, which is set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be a primary data quality goal. Data collected will be weighted by the CDC to be representative of the population of SC women delivering live births in the state annually. Collected data will be analyzed by qualified staff within DHEC to assess maternal and infant health trends, characteristics of mothers and infants with selected morbidities, and the performance of programs. Data collected will also be available to CDC staff as well as to university, government, and private researchers across the United States (US). For the upcoming project period, the SC PRAMS program looks to improve response rates in coordination with our contractor, improve messaging and outreach, and improve collaborations within SC so that SC PRAMS data and information can truly inform programs and policies in SC related to maternal and infant health.