Dartmouth Health launches TeamBirth to enhance patient experience during labor and delivery

This month, Dartmouth Health will officially implement TeamBirth at its member hospitals with labor and delivery services. This patient-centered care model, which supports open communication among patients, their support people, and clinicians during childbirth, rolled out at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) on March 4, with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Cheshire Medical Center to follow later in March.

Developed by Ariadne Labs, the TeamBirth model empowers patients to take an active role in their care throughout their stay for labor, delivery and recovery. A Joint Commission study found that failures in communication between providers and patients account for up to 90% of preventable injuries during childbirth. This coincides with a rising U.S. maternal mortality rate in recent decades: women giving birth today are 50% more likely to die during childbirth than their own mothers, with these rates being at least three times higher among Black and Indigenous women.

"At Dartmouth Health, we want all people giving birth and the clinicians who care for them to feel empowered to participate in decisions made during labor and delivery," said DHMC obstetrician-gynecologist Ella A. Damiano, MD. "TeamBirth will move us closer to that goal by fostering teamwork and communication among physicians, nurses, staff, and the person giving birth so that our patients feel heard and supported from the moment they walk into the hospital."

DHMC, SVMC and Cheshire join nearly 300 other hospitals and birth facilities nationwide who have adopted TeamBirth. In one trial of the care model, 90% of clinicians said they would recommend TeamBirth, and 96% of patients said their preferences made a difference in the care they received.

"All people who give birth deserve to have a safe, dignified experience," said Amber Weiseth, DNP, MSN, RNC-OB, director of TeamBirth at Ariadne Labs. "TeamBirth is an evidence-based approach to turn this vision into a reality."

Learn more about TeamBirth at ariadnelabs.org/delivery-decisions-initiative/teambirth.