An Introduction to the Topic:
I intend to research the causes and solutions to the rising maternal mortality rates in the United States. America has the highest maternal mortality rate of the developed countries and is the only developed country in which the deaths are increasing. Between the years 2000 to 2014 there was a 26 percent increase in maternal deaths in America, and women of color are three to four times more likely to die compared to white women. Many of these deaths are preventable but there are not proper protocols or staff to handle the situations. This problem is distressing because as advanced as medicine and technology are, there should be far fewer deaths and the number should definitely not be going up.
Project Objectives:
By the end of this project, I want my audience to be made aware of and understand the problem that is maternal deaths. Many doctors are already aware of this problem and my plan is not to make them aware of the problem but rather tell them about possible solutions. I want to find out what America is doing wrong and what other countries are doing to lower their maternal deaths. I want to find out if what other developed countries are doing could work in America. Are their protocols, technology, or skills that are not being utilized in the United States? What can health care professionals do help lower the number of deaths? What can expectant mothers learn from this information? And what can they do once they have this information?
Project Implementation Plans:
To accomplish these goals, I plan on looking into what could actually be causing the rise in maternal deaths. I want to find out what, if any, plans have been put into place to try to lower this number. Also, why is there such a staggering difference between women of color and white women when it comes to maternal mortality. I have already found some sources that contain statistics from 1987-2015. I hope to find some medical journals that may have been written about this subject, and I hope to be able to talk to a health professional about their experience with this issue. Dr. Nielsen mentioned a professor that is actually researching this topic and may be able to help, so I hope to be able to talk to them as well.
Audience Analysis:
My ideal audience would be doctors and other health care professionals. I think this group of people would be able to do the most with the information I give them. This group also has a close connection with the mothers and families being affected by this issue. Doctors and health care professionals care about the people they are responsible for, and I think because of that relationship, they would be the most willing group to try and fix this issue. Not only could doctors benefit from this information, but expectant mothers that may not even be aware this is an issue could benefit as well. I want to make sure that women who are pregnant or just thinking of getting pregnant are aware of this problem. These women should know the risks and what questions they may want to ask their doctor so as to avoid or prepare for a dangerous situation after giving birth. Also, while my focus is on the maternal mortality rates in America, people from other countries, especially those less developed than America, might also benefit from this information. The people from other countries would make up my tertiary audience, so while it is not written for them, they may find the research useful.
Sources Used in this post:
- AGOC: Maternal Mortality
- Report from Nine MMRCs
- CDC: Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System
Other Useful Sources:
