Goldie D. Brangman Diversity & Inclusion Lecture: Black Maternal Crisis and Racial Disparities in Labor Pain Management—The Role of CRNA in Equitable Anesthesia Care (1 Class A CE with 1 Pain)

The maternal mortality rate is almost three times higher among Black parturients than White parturients. This disparity is extremely complex involving numerous factors including healthcare quality variability, structural racism, and implicit bias. One in three Black parturients in the US experiences perceived discrimination and mistreatment by health care providers. Additionally, 12% of parturients report that their requests for help during pregnancy or childbirth were ignored or refused. The failure to address warning signs of potentially life-threatening complications is considered a root cause of maternal mortality. It is estimated 80% of maternal mortality in the United States may be preventable with 45% of American parturients reporting reluctance to ask questions or share concerns with their providers. Patients hesitate to ask questions or share concerns with clinicians due to their prior experiences of mistreatment, discrimination, or perceived bias. Subsequently, clinician medical decisions may be inadequately informed and suboptimal, resulting in an increased risk for complications and maternal morbidity or mortality. In anesthesia, Black parturients are less likely to receive epidurals than White parturients; therefore, they are more likely to undergo general anesthesia for cesarean delivery contributing to disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. The goal of this presentation is to increase awareness and understanding of racial disparities in labor pain management. Furthermore, we will unfold the mechanism of underutilization of labor epidural analgesia by Black parturients. To achieve this goal, we will discuss the up-to-date scientific knowledge and strategies to improve the use of epidurals by Black parturients.

Class A credit can only be earned for participation in synchronous learning via live in-person or live webinar sessions. In-person attendees can only receive Class A credit for the sessions they attend live.

Due to CE guidelines, sessions which are recorded will not be available for viewing immediately following Congress.