Quality Indicators for Women of Child-Bearing Age and Pregnant Women (USA)

Author: National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center / Georgetown University

In 2017, the Center for Oral Health Systems Integration and Improvement (COHSII) was tasked by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to convene a Quality Indicator Advisory Team (QIAT) to guide the identification of existing quality indicators to monitor services delivered in public health programs and systems of care to improve access to and quality of oral health care for the MCH population. This overview describes the process of defining the set of indicators, pilot reporting, and available resources.

The MCH oral health quality indicators span the quality domains of access, utilization, process, and outcomes

Access

W.1. Percentage of pregnant women reporting difficulty getting dental care during pregnancy (Data source: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System [PRAMS])

W.2. Percentage of pregnant women who had insurance to cover dental care during pregnancy (Data source: PRAMS)

Utilization

W.3. Percentage of pregnant women who reported having their teeth cleaned by a dentist or dental hygienist during pregnancy (Data source: PRAMS)

W.4. Percentage of women of child-bearing age (ages 18–44) who report having a visit to a dentist or dental clinic in the past year (Data source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Outcome

W.5. Percentage of pregnant women reporting that they needed to see a dentist for a problem during pregnancy (Data source: PRAMS)