Attanasio Publication Receives Best Research Article Award

Image

A journal article published by Laura Attanasio, assistant professor of health policy and management, and co-author Katy Kozhimannil of the University of Minnesota, was recently named Best Research Article for 2018 by “The Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health” (JMWH). The journal awards this honor annually for contributions to the journal that enhance midwifery and women's health through publication.

In “Relationship Between Hospital-Level Percentage of Midwife-Attended Births and Obstetric Procedure Utilization,” Attanasio and Kozhimannil found that hospitals with more midwife-attended births were less likely to have two specific medical interventions, cesarean delivery and episiotomy, raising the possibility of improving value in maternity care through greater access to midwifery care.

“I was surprised and honored to receive the award,” says Attanasio. “I hope that this work contributes to the evidence that midwives can bring quality and value to maternity care.”

Attanasio joined the UMass Amherst faculty in 2017. Her research addresses issues of quality and equity in women’s reproductive healthcare, drawing on theory and conceptual frameworks from health services research and sociology. Her current work focuses on understanding how the patient-provider relationship shapes decision making and procedure use in maternity care.

JMWH is the official journal of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the professional association that represents certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives in the United States.