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Date and Duration: October 2024 – October 2026

Linking Identification & Navigation for Perinatal Mental Health & Substance Use Care (LINK) Initiative

Purpose

Mental health conditions and perinatal substance use disorders are among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in Minnesota. By enhancing identification processes and referrals to mental health and substance use care, LINK aims to bridge critical gaps in perinatal care.

LINK Charter
References

1. Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Maternal Mortality Update Reporting for 2017-2019.; 2024. https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/womeninfants/maternalmortality/maternalmortreport.pdf

Goals & Objectives

1. Improve the identification and treatment of perinatal mental health and Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

2. Reduce length of stay for infants exposed to opioids

3. Integrate evidence-based AIM (Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health) bundles

4. Foster collaboration among hospital teams to streamline care processes.

How Success Is Tracked

A family of measures is a set of related metrics used in Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives to assess the overall impact, outcomes, and processes of a project. These measures provide a comprehensive picture of the initiative’s effectiveness and guide decision-making. A family of measures typically includes three types of metrics:

Outcome Measures

Definition: Metrics that reflect the ultimate goals or results of the initiative, focusing on the impact on patients, populations, or systems.
Purpose: To evaluate whether the initiative achieved its desired results.

Process Measures

Definition: Metrics that assess whether specific actions or interventions were implemented as intended. These focus on the steps or processes involved in achieving the outcome.
Purpose: To monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the processes driving the outcomes.

Balancing Measures

Definition: Metrics that ensure improvements in one area do not negatively affect other areas. They check for unintended consequences or trade-offs.
Purpose: To ensure that changes made to improve one outcome do not create new problems elsewhere.

Family Of Measures

Outcome Measures:

1. Percent of pregnant and postpartum people with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) who received or were referred to supportive services

2. Percent of pregnant and postpartum people with Perinatal Mental Health Conditions (PMHC) who received or were referred to supportive services

3. Length of stay in days for all newborns exposed to opioids and/or other substances (if applicable)

4. Percent of newborns exposed to substances in utero who were discharged to either birth parent

Process Measures:

1. Percent of pregnant and postpartum people screened for Perinatal Mental Health Conditions (PMHC) with a validated tool

2. Percent of pregnant and postpartum people screened for Substance Use Disorders (SUD) with a validated tool

Toolkit

Our toolkits provide targeted resources specific to each QI program, offering essential materials to support healthcare teams in achieving improvement goals.

AIM Bundle- Care for Pregnant and Postpartum People With Substance Use Disorder
AIM Bundle- Perinatal Mental Health Conditions
MHA- Perinatal Substance Use Road Map
Validated MH Screening Tools
SBIRT for Substance Abuse
Task Force on Pregnancy Health and Substance Use Disorders

MNPQC’s Quality Improvement Programs were developed with support and guidance from hospital teams and professional faculty throughout the state of Minnesota. The contents do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by MNPQC or our partners.