In the United States, pregnancy-related deaths and complications, or maternal mortality and morbidity (MMM) rates, are among the highest in the developed world. For Black women and American Indian/Alaska Native women, they are especially high, regardless of their income or education levels. Collaboration among researchers, small businesses, and the community could lead to new ways to improve maternal health and reduce U.S. MMM rates. An earlier NIH workshop on Jan. 18, 2022, Technology to Improve Maternal Health, identified MMM technology gaps and areas of need.
On Monday, May 8, and Tuesday, May 9, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. each day, NIH will hold a hybrid event that brings together technology developers, medical device experts, small business innovators, implementation scientists, MMM researchers, and academic, industry, and community-based partners. The goal is to connect the research community with small businesses that are developing new approaches to improve MMM and its associated health disparities. Hosted by the NHLBI and sponsored by NIH’s (IMPROVE) Initiative along with six other NIH institutes and offices, the workshop will be held in the Main Auditorium of the Natcher Conference Center in Building 45 on the NIH campus and will be videocast.
Panel session experts will focus on the best ways to move new maternal health technology into the community, how to address health disparities faced by pregnant people, and improve access to diagnostic and treatment tools. Topics include technology, clinical implications, community engagement, implementation, regulatory considerations, government funding, payors and investors, and more. Small businesses can apply to “pitch” their innovative solutions and receive feedback from experts in the field. Other highlights include a poster session on clinical research and interactive discussions designed to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. The event is free and open to the public.
Objectives
During the workshop, participants will:
- Explore key scientific discoveries in diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-associated conditions and the areas ready for translation.
- Participate in how-to training sessions focused on best practices in translation, education, funding, technology development, and dissemination.
- Review implementation science and community-engaged methods to ensure maternal health technologies reach those most affected and address health equity.
Sponsors
- NIH IMPROVE Initiative
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
- Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
This is a hybrid workshop: When registering, please choose one ticket type (either hybrid or virtual)
In-person: Natcher Conference Center, NIH campus, Bethesda, MD (please register before April 25, 2023)
Virtual: ZoomGov and NIH videocast; to watch the event live via NIH videocast, please click on the link below: (please register before May 5, 2023)
REGISTER
