Differences between rural and urban residence in the detection and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders are common, serious complications of pregnancy. Disparities exist by race and income in the prevalence and treatment of these conditions, and overall treatment rates remain low. Outside of pregnancy, a small body of literature suggests that rural residency may contribute to higher rates of depression for those who identify as women. However, among more diverse populations, evidence suggests urban residency may be associated with higher rates of depression among women of color. It is not known whether these trends hold for mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. OBJECTIVE: We examined differences in the detection and treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders by rural and urban residents and assessed if the observed differences varied by maternal race or ethnicity. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study using linked Medicaid claims and birth certificate records from Oregon and South Carolina from 2016 to 2020. We identified perinatal mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses during the perinatal period (pregnancy and within 60 days postpartum) using International Classification of Disease 10th edition codes and enumerated receipt of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatment using Medicaid claims. We used logistic regression models controlling for relevant clinical and sociodemographic characteristics to estimate associations between rural residence and mood disorder detection and treatment. RESULTS: Among the 185,809 births in our sample, 27% of births (n=50,820) were to people who lived in rural areas and 73% (n=134,989) to those in urban areas. The prevalence of any perinatal mood and anxiety disorders diagnosis was higher for urban residents (19.5%) than for rural residents (18.0%; P<.001). Overall treatment rates were low among people with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (42% [n=14,789]). In our adjusted models, those living in urban areas had higher odds of a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.059 [95% confidence interval, 1.059-1.059], P<.001). We found a significant interaction between maternal race and rurality (P<.001). When we stratified by race, we found that among those who identified as Black, the odds of a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder diagnosis were increased for urban residents (odds ratio, 1.188 [95% confidence interval, 1.188-1.188]), whereas among those who identified as White, there were no such increased odds (odds ratio, 1.027 [95% confidence interval, 0.843-1.252]). CONCLUSION: We saw small but meaningful differences between rural and urban residents in perinatal mood and anxiety disorder diagnosis rates. We detected an interaction between race and rural vs urban maternal residence that impacted the observed differences. By elucidating the intersection between race and other sociodemographic factors, we hope more targeted and meaningful investments can be made in the communities most in need.

Impact of the Dobbs decision on abortion services from a large tertiary center in Oregon.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the impact of the Dobbs vs Jackson decision on abortion care at an academic center in Oregon, a state with no legal restrictions on abortion. STUDY DESIGN: Electronic health records from patients who received an abortion at Oregon's largest tertiary hospital were utilized to compare the years before and after Dobbs. RESULTS: Monthly average abortions increased from 57.8 pre-Dobbs to 77.1 post-Dobbs (p = 0.001). This trend was associated with an increased proportion of out-of-state patients (14.3% vs 9.5%, p = 0.004) presenting with gestational duration ≥26 weeks (23.6% vs 3.7% in-state, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Dobbs decision resulted in increased utilization of hospital-based abortion care in a protective state. IMPLICATIONS: This study reflects the critical role of protective states such as Oregon in preserving access to abortion services and the need for continued support to alleviate the impact of nationwide barriers to reproductive healthcare.

Diagnosis of Perinatal Mental Health Conditions Following Medicaid Expansion to Include Low-Income Immigrants.

Importance: For some low-income people, access to care during pregnancy is not guaranteed through Medicaid, based on their immigration status. While states have the option to extend Emergency Medicaid coverage for prenatal and postpartum care, many states have not expanded coverage. Objective: To determine whether receipt of first prenatal care services and subsequently receipt of postpartum care through extensions of Emergency Medicaid coverage were associated with increases in diagnosis and treatment of perinatal mental health conditions. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used linked Medicaid claims and birth certificate data from 2010 to 2020 with a difference-in-difference design to compare the rollout of first prenatal care coverage in 2013 and then postpartum services in Oregon in 2018 with a comparison state, South Carolina, which did not cover prenatal or postpartum care as part of Emergency Medicaid and only covered emergent conditions and obstetric hospital admissions. Medicaid claims and birth certificate data were linked by Medicaid identification number prior to receipt by the study team. Participants included recipients of Emergency Medicaid who gave birth in Oregon or South Carolina. Data were analyzed from April 1 to October 15, 2023. Exposure: Medicaid coverage of prenatal care and Medicaid coverage of postpartum care. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the diagnosis of a perinatal mental health condition within 60 days postpartum. Secondary outcomes included treatment of a mood disorder with medication or talk therapy. Results: The study sample included 43 889 births to Emergency Medicaid recipients who were mainly aged 20 to 34 years (32 895 individuals [75.0%]), multiparous (33 887 individuals [77.2%]), and living in metropolitan areas (32 464 individuals [74.0%]). Following Oregon's policy change to offer prenatal coverage to pregnant individuals through Emergency Medicaid, there was a significant increase in diagnosis frequency (4.1 [95% CI, 1.7-6.5] percentage points) and a significant difference between states in treatment for perinatal mental health conditions (27.3 [95% CI, 13.2-41.4] percentage points). Postpartum Medicaid coverage (in addition to prenatal Medicaid coverage) was associated with an increase of 2.6 (95% CI, 0.6-4.6) percentage points in any mental health condition being diagnosed, but there was no statistically significant difference in receipt of mental health treatment. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that changing Emergency Medicaid policy to include coverage for prenatal and 60 days of postpartum care for immigrants is foundational to improving maternal mental health. Expanded postpartum coverage length, or culturally competent interventions, may be needed to optimize receipt of postpartum treatment.

Factors Influencing Provider Behavior Around Delivery of Preconception Care.

OBJECTIVE: Despite growing consensus about the clinical value of preconception care (PCC), gaps and disparities remain in its delivery. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing behavior of health care providers around PCC in outpatient clinical settings in the United States. METHODS: Twenty health care providers who serve people of reproductive age were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data was coded based on a modified Theoretical Domains Framework and analyzed using deductive content analysis. RESULTS: We interviewed eight family medicine physicians, four obstetricians/gynecologists, seven nurse practitioners, and one nurse midwife. Overall, we found a wide variety in practices and attitudes towards PCC. Barriers and challenges to delivering PCC were shared across sites. We identified six themes that influenced provider behavior around PCC: (1) lack of knowledge of PCC guidelines, (2) perception of lack of preconception patient contact, (3) pessimism around patient "compliance," (4) opinion about scope of practice, (5) clinical site structure, and (6) reliance on the patient/provider relationship. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Overall, our findings call for improved provider understanding of PCC and creative incorporation into current health care culture and practice. Given that PCC-specific visits are perceived by some as outside the norm of clinical offerings, providers may need to incorporate PCC into other encounters, as many in this study reported doing. We amplify the call for providers to understand how structural inequities may influence patient behavior and the value of standardized screening, within and beyond PCC, as well as examination of implicit and explicit provider bias.

Opioid Overdose Mortality Trends in Wisconsin, 2004-2019.

BACKGROUND: Opioid-related mortality in Wisconsin by race differs from national trends: Black Wisconsinites are nearly twice as likely as Whites to die by opioid overdose. These trends warrant further study by other demographic factors on the state level. METHODS: We characterize trends in mortality due to opioid overdose in Wisconsin using CDC WONDER data for 2004-2019 by race, age, and sex. ICD-10 (International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision) codes were selected per national guidelines for identifying opioid-related overdose deaths. RESULTS: Opioid overdose mortality increased 415% during the study period. Black or African American and American Indian or Alaska Native populations had consistently higher risk than White populations, with an older age distribution. CONCLUSION: We identify inequities in opioid overdose mortality that have persisted over time in Wisconsin. Different age distributions by race may indicate different pathways to overdose and require further investigation to guide upstream mitigation strategies.

Adapting Patient Experience Data Collection Processes for Lower Literacy Patient Populations Using Tablets at the Point of Care.

BACKGROUND: Patient experience surveys are widely used to capture the patient-reported quality of care and are increasingly being used for formal reporting purposes. There is evidence that certain patient subgroups are less likely to respond to traditional CAHPS surveys. As patient-facing technologies become more common, it is important to examine whether tablet-based patient experience surveys have the potential to promote responses from more diverse populations. OBJECTIVES: To develop, gain perspectives about, and pilot an English and Spanish low-literacy adaptation of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) administered on a tablet device at the point of care. RESEARCH DESIGN: Cognitive testing and evaluation of a quality improvement pilot comparing a tablet-based adaptation and traditional paper-based versions of the CG-CAHPS survey. SUBJECTS: English-speaking and Spanish-speaking patients receiving primary care in an urban community clinic. MEASURES: To compare the acceptability of low-literacy tablet-based and traditional paper-based patient experience surveys, we examined the concordance of responses between survey modes and preferences for modality, as well as perspectives on usability and reporting care experiences. We examined demographic differences in responses to tablet-based versus mailed surveys from a quality improvement pilot. RESULTS: The majority of cognitive interview participants preferred a low-literacy, tablet-based survey over a paper-based survey with traditional wording. In a quality improvement pilot comparing tablet-based administration at the point of care versus mailed surveys, respondents to the tablet-based survey were more likely to be younger and Latino. CONCLUSIONS: If designed with patient input, tablet-based surveys have the potential to improve the collection of patient experience data among diverse populations.