The national average of dangerous early elective deliveries dropped to the target of less than five percent for the first time.
The statistic has been steadily declining for the past four years, a Leapfrog Group news release reported.
"This is one of the most extraordinary examples of progress in health care that I've seen in my career," Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog, said in the news release. "It shows that public reporting can galvanize change, and that saves lives."
Early induced deliveries or C-sections before 39 completed weeks gestation without medical necessity can impose medical consequences on both mother and baby. They can also lead to an increase in "NICU admissions, increased length of stay, and higher costs to patients and payers.
The national average of 4.6 percent is huge improvement compared with 17 percent in 2010. Since 2012 the rates have been cut in half; in 2012 71 percent of hospitals met Leapfrog's goal of less than five percent early elective deliveries compared to 46 percent in 2012. There was also a 200-facility spike in hospital survey participation.
"The 2013 data reveals that the vast majority of states are now reporting early elective delivery average rates of less than 10 percent, with standout like California, Colorado, Maine and Massachusetts boasting rates at three percent or lower," the news release reported. There were also dramatic improvements in South Carolina, where "quality improvement actions and payment reform penalties" have been used to discourage the practice.
"Some hospitals are still reporting early elective delivery rates higher than 20 and 30 percent, which means there is still work to be done," Binder said.
"Just as we've seen early elective delivery rates drop after Leapfrog began publicly reporting them, we hope to spur national efforts to bring down the rate of C-sections," she said.
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