PERINATAL HEALTHCARE · Theory and methods for evidence based perinatal health care and policy in cross-national studies

Improving the organisation of healthcare services is one way to contribute to better maternal and infant health. Over the past 10 years, my research at the Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Mother’s and Children’s Health, INSERM U953, has focused on assessing the impact of the organisation of care on the health of babies born very preterm (<32 weeks of gestational age) in France and other European countries and on the effects of the restructuring of obstetric and paediatric health services on access to care for pregnant women and newborns My aim for this fellowship is to strengthen my research capacities by integrating knowledge from the field of health services research. This fellowship with the Department of Health Evidence and Policy at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, co-chaired by my outgoing fellowship supervisor, Professor Annetine Gelijns, offers me the opportunity to work in close collaboration with scientists who have expertise in evidence-based evaluation of health care and policy. My specific objectives are to (1) acquire knowledge about theory and methods in health services research (2) develop methods for the study of the comparative organisation of perinatal care (3) understand the organisation of health services research in the United States (4) develop a network of contacts with health services researchers. Expected outputs are two scientific publications, a validated protocol for the study of organisation of care and policy characteristics in neonatal and obstetrics units and materials for a workshop on health services research and a course at the doctoral level to be offered on my return to France. In the return phase, I plan to work actively with my research unit as well as other research units within the new Institute of Public Health at INSERM, directed by my scientific supervisor, Professor Gérard Bréart, to develop research that would apply methods from both epidemiology and health services research.