Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Okla., is one of the latest hospitals in the nation to adopt TeamBirth — a care model that 94% of clinicians say improves patient outcomes.
Comanche County Memorial Hospital is now the 34th in the state to adopt the care model, according to ABC affiliate KSWO.
The novel clinical approach was developed in 2021 by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Ariadne Labs and UMass Memorial Health. It prioritizes maternal health and improved outcomes by renewing the focus on transparency and clear communication. Doing so, underscores the importance of check-ins with all members of a patient's care team and family at key points to streamline communication about birth preferences and patient status.
The initiative's pilot trial of TeamBirth found that 99% of patients felt that their care team talked about their labor in a way they could understand, and also report feeling they had the role they wanted in making decisions about their healthcare.
"About 90% of preventable adverse medical events in the U.S. are caused by gaps in communication and teamwork," Amber Weiseth, DNP, RN, the director of the Delivery Decisions Initiative at Ariadne Labs, stated in a 2022 news release. "Not only do these breakdowns in communication leave patients feeling like their wishes aren't being heard, but they also create very real safety risks. TeamBirth was developed to close those gaps and put all members of the team on an even playing field so that every patient has a central role in all decisions about their birthing experience."
Since its 2021 pilot rollout, more than 100 hospitals nationwide — including top hospitals like Cleveland Clinic — have adopted the model.