In the United States, the maternal mortality rate is 23.8 per 100,000 pregnancies representing 861 maternal deaths in 2020.1 Hospitals have made pregnancy a medical condition rather than a life event and it lacks patient-centeredness and empathy.2 To resolve the issue of maternal mortality and solve the physical challenges evolving during care, the need for reimagining the birthing model is evident.
This research aims to study the needs of birthing women, focusing on enhancing the delivery of care and developing a new obstetrics program supporting patient-centeredness. A narrative literature review of the clinical needs of labor and delivery care is described to understand the importance of spatial conditions.3 The study will involve a descriptive evaluation of current facility standards and workflow of the obstetrics program in existing hospitals. The discussion from the interviews will be used as a base to outline design guidelines and goals for the study. The research findings are concluded in the form of a design checklist that fulfills all the design goals or a better patient experience in birthing models.
This research resulted in the creation of a design checklist for any women’s department planning and design in a hospital healthcare setting. The findings of this study will also help the community to improve their maternal health system and avoid preventable deaths and complications for mothers.
This article originally appeared in Vol 14.02 of the Perkins&Will Research Journal. CLICK HERE to see the whole article
