Maternal morbidity and mortality remain a substantial threat worldwide. In addition, there are significant, unacceptable disparities by race, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity in birth outcomes. Yet, efforts to improve maternal-neonatal clinical outcomes and eliminate outcomes disparities have met with varied success. Implementation research is sorely needed to identify barriers, facilitators, and effective strategies for implementing evidence-based practices in routine care delivery in maternity settings to improve maternal-neonatal health outcomes and eliminate outcome disparities.
This Collection seeks research on implementation of evidence-based practices to improve maternal and neonatal health. We welcome submissions of research in high- and low-income countries and spanning preconception, pregnancy, intrapartum, and postpartum care, as well as outpatient, inpatient, and community-based settings. We encourage investigations that incorporate health equity considerations, with a goal of ensuring that all people can access evidence-based care to improve the health of birthing populations. In addition, we encourage work that takes a community-engaged approach to research.
This Collection welcomes submission of research articles (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), viewpoint/discussion articles, scoping or systematic literature reviews, methodology articles, and reports of implementation trials.
Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
- Implementation trials in maternal and neonatal health including hybrid implementation-effectiveness trials (types I, II, and III)
- Rigorous pilot/feasibility studies or evaluations of full-scale implementation or dissemination projects
- Systematic investigations of quality improvement efforts in maternal and newborn care
- Studies of adaptation and/or implementation of evidence-based clinical interventions targeting maternal outcomes, including practice guidelines
- Studies focused on the identification, development, testing, deployment, evaluation, and/or refinement of implementation and dissemination strategies in perinatal contexts
- Studies evaluating variability in implementation contexts within perinatal settings
- Explorations of associations between contextual factors and successful implementation in maternal and perinatal care settings
- Studies assessing the implementation/integration of sexual health, family planning and intimate partner violence interventions in maternal and perinatal care
- Implementation-focused studies designed to improve maternal or perinatal health for historically marginalized racial-ethnic groups (e.g., people who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander), socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and people in minoritized sexual and gender groups.
For inclusion in the collection, submitted work must utilize frameworks, models, theories, and/or measures from the implementation science literature. Articles that empirically adapt or test implementation science frameworks or measures in maternal and perinatal care settings are also encouraged.
Sustainable Development Goals
This Collection supports and amplifies research related:
Sustainable Development Goal 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, specifically the following targets:
- 3.1. By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
- 3.2. By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
- 3.7. By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
Sustainable Development Goal 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, specifically the following targets:
- 5.2. Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
- 5.6. Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.