THE MARYLAND MATERNAL HEALTH RESOURCE MAP
The Maryland Maternal Health Resource Map is an interactive tool designed to help providers, pregnant and postpartum people, and their families, locate maternal health services in Maryland. The map displays a range of resources available in communities across the state, including: birthing hospitals, doula and birth worker services, home visiting programs, WIC clinics, lactation support, and much more.
Access the map at mdmomresources.org.
Access the map at mdmomresources.org.
CONCEPTUALIZATION
In 2023, the Maryland Maternal Health Task Force identified an important gap- an inability for patients and providers to access a centralized list of available maternal health services across the state. Task Force Co-Chairs conceptualized a web-based map to strengthen connections across providers and patients in Maryland. Partnering to implement the Task Force’s vision, the MDMOM program developed a plan for systematic data collection and verification of the state’s maternal health resources.
DEVELOPMENT & DISSEMINATION OF THE RESOURCE MAP
MAP CONTENT CREATION occurred in three phases:
- Stakeholder engagement to identify priority resource categories,
- identification and data collection for priority resources, and
- resource verification.
MAP DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT occurred simultaneously. The research team collaborated with consultants to design the map user-experience and develop its interface using the Drupal platform. The website is optimized for mobile and desktop viewing.
The map was LAUNCHED to the public on March 8, 2024 during a webinar hosted by the Maryland Perinatal Quality Collaborative (MDPQC).
USER-TESTING was conducted following launch to assess usability and satisfaction. A web-based survey with task scenarios was used to facilitate unmoderated user-testing among a sample of 32 adult residents of Maryland who were potential users of the resource map. Half (50%) of the sample identified as providing services to pregnant/postpartum people.
Key findings are summarized below.
Key findings are summarized below.
- The majority of user-testing participants (69%) reported they were able to find all the information they were looking for in their respective task scenarios.
- Most computer (95%) and smart phone (94%) users were satisfied with the ease of navigation.
- The majority of participants found the system easy to use (78%) and reported they would use the resource map system frequently (94%).
- Areas for improvement identified by respondents included: improved search functionality, sorting & filtering capability, and additional resource content.
A STATEWIDE ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGN ran in the Fall of 2024 to disseminate the resource map and promote engagement among target audience segments. The resource map received over 58,000 views from 33,000 users between March-September 2024.
Promotional materials:
Promotional materials:
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