Maternal health equity in Georgia: a Delphi consensus approach to definition and research priorities.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related mortality in the United States is the greatest among all high-income countries, and Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates-almost twice the national rate. Furthermore, inequities exist in rates of pregnancy-related deaths. In Georgia, non-Hispanic Black women are nearly 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than non-Hispanic White women. Unlike health equity, a clear definition of maternal health equity is lacking, overall and in Georgia specifically, but is needed to reach consensus and align stakeholders for action. Therefore, we used a modified Delphi method to define maternal health equity in Georgia and to determine research priorities based on gaps in understanding of maternal health in Georgia. METHODS: Thirteen expert members of the Georgia Maternal Health Research for Action Steering Committee (GMHRA-SC) participated in an iterative, consensus-driven, modified Delphi study comprised of 3 rounds of anonymous surveys. In round 1 (web-based survey), experts generated open-ended concepts of maternal health equity and listed research priorities. In rounds 2 (web-based meeting) and 3 (web-based survey), the definition and research priorities suggested during round 1 were categorized into concepts for ranking based on relevance, importance, and feasibility. Final concepts were subjected to a conventional content analysis to identify general themes. RESULTS: The consensus definition of maternal health equity created after undergoing the Delphi method is: maternal health equity is the ultimate goal and ongoing process of ensuring optimal perinatal experiences and outcomes for everyone as the result of practices and policies free of interpersonal or structural bias that tackle current and historical injustices, including social, structural, and political determinants of health impacting the perinatal period and life course. This definition highlights addressing the current and historical injustices manifested in the social determinants of health, and the structural and political structures that impact the perinatal experience. CONCLUSION: The maternal health equity definition and identified research priorities will guide the GMHRA-SC and the broader maternal health community for research, practice, and advocacy in Georgia.

Evaluating the Effect of Standard of Care Treatment on Burden of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Retrospective Analysis of the United States Veterans Population.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to characterize chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-infected patients and estimate the association between nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) persistence and economic outcomes using data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database. METHODS: Patients (at least 18 years of age) with two or more claims for CHB and at least one pharmacy claim for NA were identified using VHA data from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2018. The index date was the first NA prescription fill date during 1 October 2014 to 31 March 2017. Persistence and non-persistence to NA treatment were assessed during the first 2 years post index date. Non-persistence was defined as at least one failure to refill medication within 30 days from the run-out date. Generalized linear models were used to compare health care utilization and costs between persistent and non-persistent patients. RESULTS: Among patients treated with NAs (N = 2368), 1428 (60%) were CHB mono-infected and 748 (32%) were HIV co-infected. Total costs per patient per year (PPPY) were $39,240, $29,957, and $55,220 PPPY for NA-treated, mono-infected, and HIV co-infected patients, respectively. An inception cohort of 564 patients (24%), without a NA prescription in the 6 months pre-index period and at least 2 years of follow-up, was created. Persistence among the inception cohort was 29% for first year and 14% for first 2 years. After adjustment for baseline differences, persistent patients had lower cumulative overall health care costs compared to non-persistent patients, with a net cost saving of $851 (p > 0.05) in the first 2 years. CONCLUSION: CHB is associated with considerable economic burden. We observed suboptimal persistence to NAs which decreased over time. Short-term savings could be generated for CHB-infected patients when they remain persistent to NAs.