RevolutionHealth. com Releases momScore, First-of-Its-Kind Examination of Maternal Health in the U. S.: Vermont Tops 50 States in First Annual Analysis
Revolution Health today announced momScore, a first-of-its-kind health index that provides nationwide state rankings for maternal health - the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. The health index, including state-specific metrics, may be viewed by going to www. RevolutionHealth. com/momscore/.
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) May 7, 2008
Vermont, scoring 94.5 points out of a possible 100 points, led the nation, followed by Connecticut (90), Minnesota (88.5), Rhode Island (88), Massachusetts (87.4), New Hampshire (86.6), Maine (84.5), Hawaii (83.5), Wisconsin (82.7) and Iowa (81.2).
"We believe it is critical that consumers have the information and tools they need to make smart health decisions for themselves and their families. With momScore, our team has collected information about the critical factors that influence maternal health in every state, displayed this information in one place and provided easy-to-understand, comprehensive rankings," said Val Jones, M. D., senior medical director at Revolution Health. "momScore demonstrates how clear information can promote awareness of important maternal health issues. I hope that this health index will also encourage states to compete with one another for higher momScores by improving the quality of care and access to health services for moms and babies."
The cumulative momScore was compiled by a team of independent experts including medical professionals, public health officials, advocates and real-life moms. The panel looked at 10 key factors, including maternal health and wellness, early childhood health, socioeconomic factors and public policy. They reviewed more than 40 datasets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and others. momScore covers the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is the first time such information has been compiled into one set of rankings.
To help moms take action to improve their health, RevolutionHealth. com has coupled the momScore rankings with expert-led groups on topics ranging from parenting and healthy eating, to losing weight and de-stressing. In addition, RevolutionHealth. com is hosting forums for discussions on momScore and the ways the online community can improve their individual state's momScore rankings.
"Maternal health is of critical importance and has not been given enough attention on our national research agenda for the last decade," said Vivian Dickerson, M. D., Executive Medical Director of Women's Health Services at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California and a past President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and one of the experts who informed the development of momScore. "By analyzing and presenting these complicated data in a simple, digestible way for moms and moms-to-be, we hope to help them understand the various factors and policies that affect maternal health and encourage women to take action to improve their own health. The release of Revolution Health's momScore is an important step towards bringing attention to maternal health so that, for all women, motherhood is a healthy and positive experience."
You can find the momScore interactive map at www. RevolutionHealth. com/momscore (http://www. RevolutionHealth. com/momscore).
About Revolution Health
Revolution Health Group LLC was created by AOL Co-Founder Steve Case to create products and services that empower people by putting them at the center of the health system. The flagship of the company is RevolutionHealth. com, which was recently named the Best Overall Internet Health Site by the eHealthcare Leadership Awards. The free consumer health and medical web site marries expert content and online tools with the power of social networking. RevolutionHealth. com is part of Revolution Health Network which also includes CarePages. com, SparkPeople. com, drugstore. com and HealthTalk. com. Revolution Health also offers premium services that enable companies to provide health content and customized online tools to their employees, including customized portals, employee wellness incentives and telephonic services.
