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Hard Research: Birth Doulas Save Insurers and Hospitals Money

I am absolutely THRILLED to begin my new blog with my latest journal article, published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal.  In this collaboration, our team estimated the immediate cost savings per delivery with in-hospital professional doula support in Wisconsin.  This article strives to fill the gap regarding the financial impact of doula care based on the assumption that certain interventions and procedures would be avoided due to the doula’s presence.  We actually quantified how much money is saved when a birth doula is present to attend a low risk laboring mother.  To download a pdf copy, click An Economic Model of the Benefits of Professional Doula Labor Support in Wisconsin Births.

BOTTOM LINE:  There is an estimated $29 million savings if every low-risk birth was attended in-hospital by a professional doula in Wisconsin in 2010.   A professional doula providing only in-hospital labor support would yield an estimated cost-savings of $424.14 per delivery or $530.89 per low-risk delivery.  That does not include paying the doula for her services.  So, if the doula is paid $300, the cost-savings would be $230.89 for a low risk delivery.  This is due solely to the doula’s emotional and physical support at an advanced beginner level, not any advocacy she may do or advanced level skills she may acquire over time.  I can state that with confidence because the doula studies we gathered our statistics from used primarily inexperienced doulas.

COMMENTS: Of course there is no way to estimate the financial cost of improved emotional well-being for mothers and fathers. Hopefully this study will inspire others to do more doula research on those outcomes.  Early drafts included an estimate on the impact of labor doula care on breastfeeding.  But we didn’t have any hard data on the influence of doula labor support on breastfeeding rates (in other words, no randomized trials).

This is a conservative estimate of cost savings, it is likely that other (minor) procedures would also be avoided.  Hospitals often find labor and delivery to be income generating departments. They also expect future business from the families they treat.  For this reason private hospitals are often not interested in doulas to lower the number of epidurals and cesareans.  On the other hand, public hospitals that serve low income patients are interested in lowering their health care costs because the reimbursement rate can be so low.  Insurance companies and PPO/HMO’s are more interested in lowering health care costs than hospitals.  Private hospitals that have paid doula programs are usually located in cities where mothers have the choice of several hospitals to birth.  The doula program can give them a marketing edge.

Keep in mind, there are many influences on epidural and cesarean rates beyond the doula’s care.  Many of them are outside the scope of what we can influence by our presence and labor support skills.

This article does not mention the mechanism why doula care has such an impact.  For my perspective, you’ll need to read my dissertation or attend one of my presentations on the Attachment Needs of the Laboring Mother!  (All are on my main website.)

HOW TO USE THIS RESEARCH:

  1. If you are writing a grant or asking for funding for your doula program, it may increase the legitimacy of your application.  Even if cost savings is not the main reason for the program, having the data can provide a broader context for the value of birth doula support.
  2. This article increases the power and value of doula care.  The services we provide are not just “nice”.  They make a quantifiable difference in the quality of health care received by mothers.
  3. If you have a doula program or are trying to start one in your community, this provides more evidence why professional doula labor support is a significant and positive addition to your community.
  4. This article provides financial data on the relationship between what a doula is paid and cost savings.  We deserve a living wage for what we do.
  5. Are you billing an insurance company for your services?  Include this article with your denial appeal.  This could be especially helpful if your client avoided one or more of the procedures listed in the article.
  6. As a companion to other doula studies that show increased patient satisfaction, lower incidence of postpartum depression, decreased perception of pain, and higher breastfeeding rates, this completes the circle.  “Look, they save money too!”  Let’s hope lots more doula programs receive funding in the next few years.
  7. As a birth activist, are you trying to get doula services reimbursed by an insurance company?  Are you trying to get doula services offered by your HMO or PPO?  This article could be what turns the tides.  The formulas are now available in the article.  With your state or region’s statistics, you can compile your own statistics.  Find a graduate student with statistical expertise and ask for assistance.  (Heck, they’d probably think it was fun – or you can co-author your own report and they can list it on their vitae.)

Please let me know how you’ve used this article and how it impacted you.  Thanks!