As part of our commitment to providing safe and effective care, the TeamBirth initiative ensures our maternity patients and our clinical team caring for them at The Family Birthplace - including OB/GYNs, midwives, lactation consultants, nurses and pediatricians – have shared input and understanding into decisions during labor and delivery. Studies indicate that this shared input and collaboration has a positive impact on patient safety and outcomes, helping to reduce the number of Cesarean sections, which often pose risks for newborns and mothers.
How does TeamBirth encourage collaborative decision making?
The TeamBirth initiative promotes communication and teamwork during huddles and is structured through a simple, shared whiteboard in the labor room aiming to:
- Promote the roles of the laboring patient, nurse, and delivering provider as members of the care team with equally valuable input for decision-making
- Elicit the patient’s preferences, symptoms, and subjective experiences and integrate with clinical data to inform patient care plans
- Distinguish maternal, fetal, and labor progress statuses and care plans
- Set shared expectations for the next planned evaluation
Why have we chosen to participate in TeamBirth?
The Family Birthplace at Cape Cod Hospital was selected to take part in this collaboration along with nine Massachusetts hospitals. Inclusion in the TeamBirth project demonstrates that Cape Cod Healthcare is adhering to the highest standards of care for mothers and their babies and is continually seeking new, evidence-based practices to further improve our patient experience and outcomes. Your labor and delivery team will introduce you to TeamBirth during your admission process.
Where can I learn more about TeamBirth?
Learn more about the origin of TeamBirth, a project from the Ariadne Labs Team – a joint center for health systems and innovation from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
